Sheffield United Boss Showers Praise on Former Colleague
Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder has expressed his admiration for Preston North End boss Paul Heckingbottom ahead of their clash this Friday evening. The match is scheduled for 20:00 BST and promises to be a tightly contested affair.
Wilder brought Heckingbottom to Sheffield United in 2020 to manage the under-23s. Heckingbottom eventually took over as the permanent manager, leading the club to promotion in 2023.
"I know Paul well, so I have a lot of admiration and respect for Paul," Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield. "I'm sure people realise it was me who brought him into the football club."
He added, "He's a good character and he knows the culture and values of our football club, and I'm sure he's trying to implement those cultures and values from his successful time here, into Preston North End."
Preston's Inconsistent Form
Preston North End has experienced an inconsistent start to the season, losing their last two games and winning only two of their last eight league fixtures. Wilder acknowledged this, stating, "We're all after that consistency, so there's been down days for Paul as much as there's been the up days."
Despite the recent setbacks, Wilder recognises Preston's quality. "They've started the season on the front foot and got themselves into a good position, but as the competition is, you can win games but you can lose. They've lost their last two and they'll not want to lose three on the spin. We'll want to win three on the spin and they'll want to turn that around, so [it should be a] really competitive [game]."
Wilder concluded by saying, "I always look at Preston North End's squad and it's always full of good loans and really experienced Championship players, so it's always a tough test home and away and we're expecting nothing else."
You can listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.
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