Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Sheffield United striker Brian Deane has expressed his doubts over Paul Heckingbottom's suitability for the Bramall Lane dugout.

This comes after the Yorkshire club revealed that they have narrowed down their shortlist of managers to replace Chris Wilder down to five.

That shortlist includes Heckingbottom, who has been captaining the sinking ship in a caretaker role following Wilder's departure back in March.

It is the 43-year-old's first managerial role in England since his short spell with Leeds United in 2018.

Ultimately, Heckingbottom is not the most experienced of managers, which is a concern for Deane.

On the Sheffield United caretaker boss potentially getting the job full-time, Deane told FFC:

"I think that they need to get somebody in who has a track record. I think they need somebody with some presence. You know, if they don't go down that route, then it will say a lot about their aspirations.

"If you consider the fact that if they put him in charge, they might look at it as a safe pair of hands. But you'd have to question what they want to achieve."

Sheffield United have seen little improvement under Heckingbottom, so it may come as a surprise to some that the former Leeds boss is a strong contender for the position permanently.

Having managed both the Whites and Barnsley in the Championship, though, he is not a complete novice when it comes to English football's second division.