The then Barnsley boss was linked with a move to Sunderland before his appointment at Leeds United.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom has told Leeds United’s Facebook page that speculation linking him with a move to Sunderland earlier in the campaign was exactly that.
Heckingbottom was still at Barnsley when rumours emerged of interest from Sunderland, who had recently sacked ex-Leeds boss Simon Grayson and were yet to appoint his eventual successor – and current incumbent – Chris Coleman.
Two-and-a-half-months later and the 40-year-old was to leave Oakwell, with Elland Road his destination.
However, when asked how close he came to joining Sunderland – who are Leeds’ visitors on Saturday – Heckingbottom replied: “Yeah, nothing happened. I seemed to have a spell at Barnsley where all the questions I was getting asked were all about players leaving, me leaving, and it was just total speculation constantly.
“In all honesty, that is what it is until someone comes and makes a bid for a player or an approach for a manager it’s literally speculation.
“The amount of stuff you read or get asked about, a lot of it is comical. There was one point with the Sunderland one, I remember someone printed my supposed wage at Barnsley and what I supposedly would get at Sunderland and all of a sudden just because some figures had been printed it was fact, I was going, and nothing had changed.
“It was a strange time because it rumbled on for a long time but it only ever got to speculation.”
In hindsight, Heckingbottom looks to have made a good call swerving both Sunderland and Barnsley, who occupy the Championship’s second- and third-from-bottom positions and are a respective five and eight points adrift of safety.
However, the former left-back has hardly flourished at Leeds, who have won just twice in ten games since his appointment.
The Whites won 2-0 at Sunderland under previous manager Thomas Christiansen at the start of the campaign.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
