Sheffield United star hails key “freedom” element as boss looks to address key transfer priority

Ollie Norwood has hailed the “freedom” of boss Paul Heckingbottom’s Sheffield United approach, as he prepares for a sixth campaign at Bramall Lane next season.

The midfielder played enough games during the Blades’ promotion campaign to trigger an extension to his Bramall Lane contract and added a fourth promotion medal to his trophy cabinet, in the space of five seasons at Championship level.

The former Northern Ireland international was one of the biggest beneficiaries from Heckingbottom’s approach when he returned to the Blades’ first-team set-up following the sacking of Slavisa Jokanovic, and at 32 could be another key man in midfield as United return to the Premier League next season after two years away.

“He’s given me that freedom, since he came in. Get on the ball as much as you can and just play,” Norwood said of Heckingbottom’s approach. “He says: ‘Go and play.’

“I’m going to give the ball away; that’s part and parcel of football and if I didn’t do that, I wouldn’t have been playing in the Championship. I try things sometimes that don’t come off but my job is to try and get on the ball as much as I can.

“Hecky’s more annoyed if I don’t do that than if I give it away. It’s great to have a manager who gives you that freedom to play, and demands that. The more we have the ball, the better we are.”

As it stands Norwood is one of only three senior central midfiielders contracted to the club, alongside Sander Berge and Ismaila Coulibaly. United remain in contract talks with John Fleck and Ben Osborn over staying at Bramall Lane, while James McAtee and Tommy Doyle have returned to parent club Manchester City.

The area is understandably one of the priority positions for next season as Heckingbottom looks to assemble a squad capable of competing at Premier League level. The Blades have been linked with Glen Kamara, a former target who could leave Rangers this summer, while Algerian midfielder Haris Belkebla has hinted that he would be open to moving to United if the Blades follow up their reported interest this summer.