Paul Heckingbottom under increasing pressure at Sheffield United with ex-boss Chris Wilder a possible option to replace him

Paul Heckingbottom is under increasing pressure as Sheffield United manager, talkSPORT understands.

Sheffield United are 17th in the Premier League after a dramatic late defeat away at Tottenham on Saturday.

Having led through Gustavo Hamer’s effort in the 73rd minute, Spurs came back to land a one-two combo deep into injury time when Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski scored at the death.

It has left the Blades with just one point from their opening five matches in the Premier League since achieving promotion last season.

And talkSPORT understands that there could be an early managerial casualty at Bramall Lane.

Former boss Chris Wilder could be an option to take over should Heckingbottom be axed after patching up his differences with the Sheffield United hierarchy.

The 55-year-old was sacked as Blades boss in 2021 after leading them to the Premier League and keeping them up.

But a fallout with owner Prince Abdullah saw him sacked, though it is understood that the two have since buried the hatchet.

Wilder was also in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday to watch Sheffield United lose, further putting pressure on Heckingbottom.

The two coaches are known to be close friends and it was Wilder who appointed Heckingbottom as the club’s under-23s manager, who then took over from him on an interim basis in March 2021.

Wilder has since been appointed as Middlesbrough and Watford’s manager, with neither role lasting long.

Nevertheless, the Yorkshire-born coach, who came up through the academy at Bramall Lane as a player, remains a fan favourite at the club.