Leeds United parted company with Heckingbottom less than four months after hiring him.
Paul Heckingbottom has spoken for the first time since being sacked as manager of Leeds United at the start of June.
Heckingbottom lasted less than four months at Elland Road, after being prised away from boyhood club Barnsley in February.
While the 41-year-old won only four of his 16 games in charge of Leeds, who replaced him with the former Marseille and Argentina boss Marcelo Bielsa.
And, speaking to Talksport in an interview broadcast at 12:05 on July 19, Heckingbottom insisted he holds no hard feelings towards either Leeds or the club’s owner Andrea Radrizzani.
Explaining the reasons behind his departure, the Yorkshireman said: “(It was) literally just a change of direction from the club, that was it. As you said, another managerial casualty. I’m the one who suffered from it, but it was a great experience, (I had a) good time there, some really good people, and I really wish them well.
“(It was) a change of mind (from Radrizzani). He went for an experienced manager, known all over the world. It’s always the owner’s decision at the end of the day – they’re the most powerful people at the club. And whether you agree with the decisions or not you have to sort of respect them and live by them.
“Leeds have gone for a different manager and I just hope they back him. I’m sure he’ll be saying the same things as I was saying. Hopefully he gets the backing and the support to make changes and give the fans there what they’re crying out for.”
Asked if he was surprised to see Leeds go for a manager of Bielsa’s calibre, Heckingbottom replied: “No, that’s the club. That’s what they want, that’s sort of what they’re demanding and Andrea went out there and got the man he wanted.
“I’m obviously the one who suffered for that but hopefully Leeds can benefit from it, otherwise it will have been a poor decision. That’s football. You sort of have to accept that that’s the way it is or you can drive yourself crazy.
“But likewise you have to be determined and driven enough, I think, to stay in the game and want to make that change – because I don’t think it’s right, I’ll be honest – and I think if fans start accepting that managers are going to come and go willy-nilly all of the time, they’re sort of playing their own part then in not getting success.
“The best clubs, or the ones who are going to overachieve, or the ones who are going to be able to defy the odds and out compete everybody else, are the clubs that have the best plan and know how to implement that plan and be really strong in their beliefs and make things happen, rather than just making decisions and hope things are going to happen – have a real clear plan and pathway as to how they’re going to make things work and be so bloody minded that they make it happen.”
Heckingbottom, who was unable to make a single singing as Leeds boss, went on to back the Whites to mount a promotion challenge this season, providing the club can deliver the players Bielsa wants in the transfer market.
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