“Just be ready” – Paul Heckingbottom issues message to Sheffield United’s on-loan man | OneFootball

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Football League World

·5 October 2022

“Just be ready” – Paul Heckingbottom issues message to Sheffield United’s on-loan man

Article image:“Just be ready” – Paul Heckingbottom issues message to Sheffield United’s on-loan man

Sheffield United fans might have expected to see more of James McAtee than they have right now, with the player arriving from Man City on a loan deal over the summer.

However, so far, the midfielder has been limited to just seven outings and two starts for the Blades to date. However, Paul Heckingbottom has stated to Yorkshire Live that the chances will come for the 19-year-old – but that he needs to ‘just be ready’ when those opportunities come.


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McAtee is highly regarded at Man City, with the club having already handed him two showings for their first-team in the league. That’s despite the player being just 18-years-old at the time. Now, nearly two years older, he has been allowed to head out on his first loan to get some more gametime under his belt.

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Article image:“Just be ready” – Paul Heckingbottom issues message to Sheffield United’s on-loan man

ETHAN AMPADU

ENGLISH WELSH

He hasn’t made himself a first-team regular just yet though at Bramall Lane, with the midfielder perhaps finding it much harder to break into the side because of their current form and ability in the Championship. With United having thrived without McAtee in the starting eleven, it has meant he has had to make do with mere cameos off the bench for the time being mostly.

However, even with the side flourishing and climbing to the very top of the second tier table, boss Paul Heckingbottom has told the 19-year-old that he should get his chance and that he needs to ‘just be ready’ when the chance to play does come.

Speaking about it, he said: “Just be ready, his chances will come. He’s getting minutes on the pitch, who knows when it’s going to be a lot of minutes. Listen, he’s a slightly different player to Tommy [Doyle], he plays similar position, in terms of attributes, again I want him to be in a position to take risks and take the shackles off in that final third.

“He’s trained hard and he knows he’s going to get more opportunities and minutes on the pitch and hopefully he can make them count.”

James McAtee, like his fellow Man City loanee Tommy Doyle, looks a real prospect and a real talent.

He appears to have the potential to become a very exciting player and he could be a real asset for the Blades to have already this season. He’s shown with the City reserves that he already has bags of ability and given regular competitive action in the Championship, he will be eager to prove that he can carry that over.

So far, it has been hard for McAtee to perhaps have the same impact as he has had to come off the bench most of the time. It means that the player’s time on the field is more stunted and he has to just grasp what he can and try to do the best with it. If he can get into the starting fold, whether via injury or proving himself in a cameo, then it should bring even better football out of him.

What is impressive though is that the Blades can simply turn to McAtee off the bench – when he he is a player that would probably start for a lot of other teams in that league.

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