‘It should be really competitive’published at 19:46 BST
Preston v Sheff Utd (20:00 BST)
Ahead of tonight’s match, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has expressed his admiration for former colleague and current Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom.
Ex-Barnsley boss Heckingbottom was brought to the Blades by Wilder in 2020 to manage the under-23s and he eventually became the permanent head coach, leading the club into the Premier League – like Wilder had done previously – in 2023.
Wilder told BBC Radio Sheffield: “I know Paul well, so I have a lot of admiration and respect for Paul. I’m sure people realise it was me who brought him into the football club.
“He’s a good character and he knows the culture and values of our football club, and I’m sure he’s trying to implement those cultures and values from his successful time here, into Preston North End.”
Preston have had an inconsistent start, having lost their past two games and winning just two of their past eight league fixtures having begun the campaign with seven points from a possible nine.
“We’re all after that consistency, so there’s been down days for Paul as much as there’s been the up days,” Wilder added.
“They’ve lost their last two and they’ll not want to lose three on the spin. We’ll want to win three on the spin and they’ll want to turn that around, so [it should be a] really competitive [game].
“I always look at Preston’s squad and it’s always full of good loans and really experienced Championship players, so it’s always a tough test home and away and we’re expecting nothing else.”
Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.
