Heckingbottom enters frame for Sunderland job

A new contender has emerged for the vacant Sunderland manager’s job with Paul Heckingbottom now being mooted as a possible replacement for David Moyes.

Moyes resigned at the end of the season after the Black Cats had been relegated from the Premier League, with fellow Scot Derek McInnes the favourite to take over.

But Heckingbottom, the current Barnsley manager, has now emerged as a candidate for the job, having taken the Tykes up to the Championship last season before consolidating this year.

Any move would require a fee for Heckingbottom, who is under contract with Barnsley, and so he has moved to temper speculation.

He said: “It would take something big to get me away from here.

“A lot of it is just speculation. I’m under contract here and the only way I could go would be if someone came in and gave the money to the club, just like a player.

“My focus has always been on us and getting us better and I don’t think I’d have time to think about anything like that.”

However Heckingbottom has previous ties to the club, having spent four years at Sunderland as a trainee after starting his career with Manchester United.