Paul Heckingbottom: a brief spell before the Bielsa era
Paul Heckingbottom managed Leeds United from February to June 2018. Appointed after Thomas Christiansen was dismissed, he took charge of the final 16 Championship matches of the 2017–18 season before making way for Marcelo Bielsa.
From Barnsley to Elland Road
Born in Barnsley in 1977, Heckingbottom had played as a defender before moving into coaching. He established his managerial reputation at Barnsley, where he helped the club win the Football League Trophy and promotion from League One through the play-offs in 2016.
Leeds appointed him on 6 February 2018, seeking to arrest a decline that had ended the club’s early-season promotion hopes.
Results at Leeds
Heckingbottom inherited a side struggling for confidence and consistency. In his 16 Championship games, Leeds won four, drew four and lost eight, giving him a 25% win rate.
Leeds finished the 2017–18 season in 13th place. The results were insufficient to persuade the club that he should oversee the next campaign.
Dismissal and Bielsa’s arrival
Heckingbottom was dismissed on 1 June 2018, less than four months after taking the job. Two weeks later, Leeds appointed Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, beginning a dramatically different period in the club’s history.
After Leeds
Heckingbottom subsequently managed Hibernian and Sheffield United. At Sheffield United, he later guided the club to Premier League promotion in 2023, demonstrating that his brief and unsuccessful Leeds tenure was not the full measure of his managerial abilities.
Legacy
Heckingbottom’s time at Leeds is remembered chiefly as the final managerial appointment before Bielsa’s arrival. He inherited a difficult situation, but four wins in 16 league games left the club looking for another change of direction.