Sheffield United boss discusses James McAtee’s biggest learning curve after Man City starlet’s superb solo strike at Blackpool

The 20-year-old scored a superb solo goal at Blackpool on Thursday evening, travelling half the length of the pitch before finishing at the near post to put the Blades 2-0 up at Bloomfield Road.

It proved to be a key goal as the home side halved the deficit later on to set up a slightly tense finale but United held on, with McAtee going into Monday’s clash with QPR at Loftus Road looking for his third goal in as many games after also scoring in the Boxing Day win over Coventry.

It is some turnaround in the space of a few months, following his low point away at Luton when he was largely anonymous and dragged off at half-time. The England U21 man has improved off the ball, to complement his obvious quality on it and is much more up to the speed of the Championship – which only bodes well for him and United, and ultimately City, for the second half of the campaign.

“He has grown,” boss Paul Heckingbottom agreed. “I think how everyone handled him since that moment [at Luton] has been important. The players were brilliant with him straight after in the group chat. Macca and Jack [assistant boss McCall and coach Lester], the support they give him, and his agent and things like that.

“This can happen. It’s about embracing that doubt, if you like. ‘Is this what it is?' He's improved from embracing that challenge and realising that people are there to stop you at all costs. Where he's improved without the ball is more important. You're seeing his qualities with the ball and how he can hurt the opposition.

“It's the weighing scales, if you're affecting the game positively or negatively. If you're starting to affect it more negatively, you're not on the pitch. There are ways of doing that; with or without the ball, set-plays, everything. So that's been certainly a learning experience for him.”

McAtee is dovetailing nicely with another young starlet in Iliman Ndiaye, with both men showing form that suggests they will enjoy good careers in the top-flight for many more seasons to come.

“Listen, they are good players,” Heckingbottom added. “Iliman's different in what he does, he's great to work with and the way he can come off both feet and his balance and agility with the ball are unreal.

“Macca's a bit more one-dimensional in terms of his left foot, but he's got an even better turn of pace and a creativeness when people get tight with him.

“Where you're not quite sure what he's going to do. So they’re the strengths and the eye-catching bits that get fans excited.”

Victory at Bloomfield Road extended United’s lead over third-placed Blackburn Rovers to 11 points, with the gap effectively 12 because of the goal difference between the two sides.

“Macca can go further,” Heckingbottom added. “No-one had a tougher baptism than him. He had to be patient to get back in, in a position that’s different because of what we ask him to do. With and without the ball.”