Sheffield United boss plays down talk of incoming 'target' despite admitting new body may be needed

Holden was reported to be in talks to join the Blades earlier this week, before the former Bristol City and Stoke City coach was made the bookies’ favourite to take the vacant managers’ job at Charlton Athletic.

Heckingbottom has made no secret of his belief that specialist coaches are the future, with his No.2 Stuart McCall tasked with taking charge of the Blades’ midfielders and coach Jack Lester overseeing the group of forwards.

But, asked specifically about the link with Holden, Heckingbottom said: “No. My mum told me about it when she read one of you guys’ stories! No, I know Dean. I know him. He’d be great. But I’ve not spoken to him.

“At the minute it’s me doing it [coaching the defenders] and I want the players to have the same sort of contact as they do with Jack and Macca. I also want my workload to decrease in that area. We want to do it, definitely.

“I enjoy that side of it. That’s maybe one reason there’s no-one in place. I enjoy it and want to do it, but I think it would be good more for the players. I’m lucky that it’s more the senior boys who I’m working with. Look at the centre-backs and then as we’re introducing them, Jayden [Bogle] and Rhys [Norrington-Davies] and Lowey [Max Lowe], I’d even class all those as senior now.

“I think they’re pretty comfortable around me so it’s not really a problem. I know in my position, I can’t keep them all happy all of the time. So I think it’s important they have got someone else who they can speak to.”

Heckingbottom, speaking ahead of this weekend’s clash with Huddersfield Town at Bramall Lane, has been told by the Bramall Lane board that he could “appoint [a new coach] tomorrow if I wanted to. But it’s not something I’ve spoken about for a long time. The dynamic is good.

“We have good people and staff all across the board. There’s that saying and one or two have said to me: ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ I just know that’s how I see things working, long-term. And I may feel there’s more of a need for it after the new year, the fixtures are more Saturday and Saturday and you’re doing more work.

“We couldn’t do any on the grass, a lot of it was video. I see it going that way, I want it to go that way but I'm not stressed or worried about it. If I was, we’d have done it by now.”

Holden was also linked with a move to Premier League side Brentford as Thomas Frank’s No.2 earlier in the week, but the Bees subsequently appointed Claus Nørgaard as a replacement for Brian Riemer, who left recently after four years to take over Belgian side Anderlecht.