Sheffield United: Boss dedicates Manager of the Month Award to a very special player
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Heckingbottom received the honour for the second time this term, after helping the Championship leaders win all of their matches during September.
Foderingham was also nominated for the players’ trophy, having kept three clean sheets during those away victories over Hull City, Swansea City and Preston North End. But Luton Town’s Carlton Morris was selected by the voting panel, which included the English Football League’s chief executive Trevor Birch and representatives from sponsors Sky Bet.
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Hide Ad“We had our picture done with the whole squad,” said Heckingbottom, again crediting “the players” for helping swing the decision in his favour. “We made sure that Wes was holding it, the trophy, because I think he’s been fantastic. Look the the shut-outs he had, not conceding once, especially with the changes we’ve had to make.”
“People joke he didn’t have much to do,” Heckingbottom continued. “That’s not true. He made key saves, huge saves, at Hull and Preston. And doing that, even behind a defence that’s doing so well and that he’s a part of by the way, is an art in itself.”
Heckingbottom, who has now been named MoM twice in a row since guiding United into the play-off semi-finals in May, was shortlisted alongside Birmingham City’s John Eustace, Swansea’s Russell Martin and Dean Smith of second-placed Norwich City.
Despite entering tomorrow’s game at Stoke City on top of the table, United will travel to Staffordshire on the back of a draw with Eustace’s side and Tuesday’s defeat by Queens Park Rangers.
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Hide Ad“It’s great, things couldn’t have gone much better in September,” Heckingbottom said. “We had three tough away games and had to dig everything out. It’s down to the players and their resilience. The awards are nice but by the time you get them they are long gone, because you’re always on to the next game.”
“I’m not bothered if I don’t get another one,” he added. “Because it’s all about points. But the more of these we get, it shows how well the lads are performing.”