He represented a total of 11 clubs as a player and was part of the Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley sides that won the League One play-offs.
At Barnsley, he guided the Tykes to the League One play-offs and the Football League trophy in the 2015/16 season.
Heckingbottom's teams play a fluid brand of football that is very attack focused. This saw Sheffield United become the third-highest scorers after Burnley and Middlesbrough in their promotion to the Premier League at the end of the 2022/23 season.
But after a terrible start to the 2023/24 season, which saw Sheffield United experience an 8-0 home thrashing by Newcastle and 5-0 defeats to Arsenal and Burnley, Heckingbottom was sacked on December 5.
Heckingbottom took the manager's hot seat at Preston on August 20, 2024, replacing Ryan Lowe who had departed the club a week earlier by mutual consent.
Heckingbottom played as a defender and was utilised both as a centre-half and on the flanks as a full-back.
Heckingbottom started his career in the youth ranks at Manchester United, where he spent two years from 1993 to 1995. After this he joined Sunderland AFC, where he was loaned out on multiple occasions. He never played a competitive game for the Black Cats.
The only playing honours Heckingbottom has won are two League One play-off winners' medals - with Sheffield Wednesday in the 2004/05 season and Barnsley in the 2005/06 season.
After gaining his qualifications, Heckingbottom was first called upon by League One Barnsley, where he was caretaker manager before taking the job fully after manager Lee Johnson was sacked in the 2015/16 season.
Heckingbottom was able to turn Barnsley's fortunes around and he gained promotion via the play-offs in his first season. He then took charge for one full season when he led the Tykes to safety, finishing in 14th place in the Championship.
The following season, he signed a new contract with Barnsley but shockingly left just four days later to join Leeds United in February 2018.
His former side would be relegated that season while Heckingbottom did not have the best of times at Elland Road either. He was sacked just four months after taking the job and was later succeeded by Marcelo Bielsa.
After the disappointment of his previous job, he joined Hibernian in Scotland in February 2019. Initially he performed very well and even led his side to an unbeaten league run as well as winning the Edinburgh derby against fierce rivals Hearts.
Results didn't match the board's expectations in his second year though and he was relieved of his duties after winning only one of their first 11 league matches in the 2019/20 season.
After yet another disappointment, he joined Sheffield United as under-23s head coach. Following the dismissal of Chris Wilder in the 2020/21 season, Heckingbottom had to take charge as interim manager. His opening match was against Leicester City, which he lost 5-0.
His opening match was against Leicester City, which he lost 5-0 and then he went on to oversee Sheffield United's relegation from the Premier League following four more defeats.
Heckingbottom was passed over for the full-time manager's role at Sheffield United for the start of the 2021/22 Championship season. But after Slavisa Jokanovic flopped in the job, he returned to take the reins on a full-time basis in Novemeber 2021.
He led the Blades to a fifth-place finish but ultimately lost in the play-off semi-finals to eventual winners Nottingham Forest.
In the 2022/23 campaign, Heckingbottom guided the Blades back to the Premier League, finishing as runners-up behind Burnley with 91 points.
But the Blades fired Heckingbottom after they slipped to the bottom of the Premier League table, with just five points, after an embarrassing 5-0 defeat at Burnley in early December 2023, their 11th reverse in 14 matches.
Heckingbottom endured a torrid start to the season that included an 8-0 home thrashing by Newcastle and a 5-0 defeat at Arsenal.
United chief executive Stephen Bettis said in a statement: “Firstly, on behalf of the board of directors, I’d like to thank Paul for all of his efforts at Sheffield United, firstly as U23s manager before stepping up to take control of first-team duties.
“His professionalism and dedication have been a credit to the club and I’m sure all Unitedites enjoyed the promotion-winning campaign.
“However, after slipping to the bottom of the table and a number of disappointing results and performances, it is felt that a change is needed to give the club a boost and every possible chance of remaining in the Premier League beyond this season."
On August 20, 2024, Preston appointed Paul Heckingbottom as their permanent new manager, replacing Ryan Lowe who left by mutual consent at the start of the season.
Heckingbottom took over with Preston second bottom of the Championship after respective 2-0 and 3-0 defeats to Sheffield United and Swansea in their opening two matches.
Heckingbottom said: “I’m really delighted with it, ready to go and champing at the bit really. It’s a club I know well for lots of reasons and a league I know well, so it was a pretty easy decision.
“Experience is key. Knowing the players helps and then having success in this league helps, so we know what it takes to compete.
“We know what it takes to do well and you can give that clear direction to try and get there and that’s the aim.
“The short-term goals are to get back on track. Longer term, we want to be a really, really competitive team in this league.”
Preston director Peter Ridsdale added: “We identified that we wanted Paul to be the man to take us forward and moved swiftly over the weekend.
“We met on Sunday, finalised the details late (on Monday) night and he’s here with us today, ready to get to work.
“I’m now looking forward with confidence with Paul and Stuart McCall in charge and I think all Preston North End fans can be really excited about the season ahead.”
Preston were second bottom of the Championship after respective 2-0 and 3-0 defeats to Sheffield United and Swansea in their opening two matches.
In 2019, Heckingbottom started a professional doctorate in sports coaching at Leeds Beckett University.
Heckingbottom is married to his wife Clare, who was an NHS key worker during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Paul Heckingbottom's net worth is believed to be between £1-5million.
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