Barnsley’s 39-year-old manager has earned plenty of admiration for his work at Oakwell – not least from Nottingham Forest reportedly.
There’s a price to be paid for success. And Barnsley’s return to the Championship, followed by a superb run of form which guided them towards the dizzying heights of the top half, was always going to attract interest from elsewhere.
Conor Hourihane and Marc Roberts have been relentlessly tipped to follow Sam Winnall out of Oakwell and now SkyBet have now ranked Tykes boss Paul Heckingbottom as the second favourite to assume the vacant managerial role at perennial crisis club Nottingham Forest.
The 39-year-old is ranked behind former gaffer Billy Davies in the pecking order with the usual suspects, Ryan Giggs, Oscar Garcia, Nigel Pearson and co, lagging behind.
No name on the list will get fans salivating quite like Gary Rowett, who snubbed Forest’s advances after the collapse of John Jay Moores’ takeover bid according to The Mirror, but Heckingbottom could represent a rather astute appointment.
After all, in his first permanent managerial role, he led Barnsley to play-off final success at Wembley and, like Rowett, represents a glimmer of hope for young, homegrown coaches everywhere.
Though Forest fans are less convinced by his potential arrival. After all, eight managers in six years hardly epitomises a club renowned for its patience.
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