Less than a day after sacking Thomas Christiansen, Paul Heckingbottom (40) has been unveiled as the new Leeds United manager.
As caretaker manager at Barnsley, Heckingbottom guided the club from League One to the Championship in 2015/16.
Qualifying for England's second-tier via the playoffs, Heckingbottom also led the club to the Football League Trophy in what was a memorable year for the club.
Rewarding this success, Barnsley confirmed Heckingbottom as the club's permanent manager thereafter; the Englishman's first full-time managerial role.
It hasn't been a straight-forward return for the Tykes however; Barnsley currently sit 21st in the Championship table, only three points off bottom-placed Burton Albion, and, perhaps crucially for Heckingbottom, seventeen points shy of 10th placed Leeds United.
With the announcement of his appointment, Heckingbottom will now become Leeds' seventh manager in less than four years.
It is understood that although Heckingbottom signed a new contract with Barnsley only last Friday, Leeds trigged the £500,000 release cause required to carry out the deal.
The demise of Thomas Christiansen
For the man on his way out, Thomas Christiansen will look back on a good start to the season that quickly soured.
Having lost only once in their opening nine games, Leeds found themselves struggling for such consistency thereafter; losing six of their next seven league ties before a reprieve against Middlesbrough in November.
However, with a squad of players that were not necessarily his own, the sacking of Christiansen after only a little more than half a season may have appeared a little harsh.
Yet, Leeds United fans in general seem content to move onward now.
So Thomas Christiansen gets sacked because a team full of players he hasn’t signed have underperformed or just aren’t good enough. Meanwhile the man who signed said players remains at the club. Modern day football there for you #lufc
— Mark Wilson (@MarkWilsonRadio) February 4, 2018
I have sympathy for @T9Christiansen in a number of areas but I'd like to wish him well for the future and thank you for managing #lufc with class, your efforts were certainly appreciated. #lufc #mot
— Tony Dorigo (@tonydorigo) February 5, 2018
To @T9Christiansen:
No hostitilises towards you at all boss. You gave us a promising start & some entertaining stuff to watch earlier in the season.
We all wanted you to do well, just really unfortunate it hasn't worked out.
I wish you the best of luck for the future. #lufc— :) (@Max_LUFC) February 4, 2018
In Heckingbottom, Leeds United will again vouch for a young manager that could ideally become the catalyst the club requires.
Having been absent from the Premier League since their relegation in 2003/04, Heckingbottom's remit will be squarely focused on reinstating the club at English football's top table.
Sitting only seven points shy of sixth-placed Bristol City, it is not inconceivable that a good run could see the new Leeds United manager become a very quick folk hero at Elland Road.
