Paul Heckingbottom

Paul Heckingbottom (born 17 July 1977 in Barnsley) is an England Association football, playing for Bradford City A.F.C.. His normal position is in Defender (football).

Career

Early career

Born in Barnsley, Heckingbottom was a season ticket holder at the Barnsley F.C., with his grandfather. He started his own football career at Manchester United F.C. as a trainee but joined Sunderland A.F.C. after failing to gain a professional contract. He had loan spells at Scarborough F.C., Hartlepool United F.C. and Darlington F.C. without featuring for Sunderland before joining Darlington permanently in 1999. He made 128 appearances scoring 6 goals before catching the attention of Norwich City F.C. who signed him in 2002.

Heckingbottom made just 16 appearances for Norwich before signing for Bradford City A.F.C. in 2003 where he was named their player of the year at the end of his first season. But Bradford were relegated to Football League One at the end of the 2003-04 in English football season, and he left to join Sheffield Wednesday F.C. during the close-season.

Sheffield Wednesday

Heckingbottom was well favoured under both Chris Turner (footballer b. 1958) and Paul Sturrock and made a total of 41 appearances at left back in his first season - more than any other player that year. He also scored four goals, helping Wednesday to the Football League One Football League One play-offs at the end of the 2004-05 in English football season. Due to an injury sustained in pre-season he was put out of contention for the first 16 games of the 2005-06 in English football season. When he returned to fitness, new signing John Hills had begun to make the left back spot his own. An injury to Hills allowed him to re-stake a claim on the team but he only managed a 4 game streak in the team before once again becoming injured and it was this time Peter Gilbert that took his place in the squad. Sturrock allowed him a chance to prove himself in an FA Cup third round game against Charlton Athletic F.C.. He scored both of Wednesday's goals in the 4–2 defeat at Hillsborough Stadium.

Barnsley

Heckingbottom was sent on loan with a view to a permanent move to his boyhood club Barnsley F.C.. He played an important part in their promotion campaign and win against Swansea City A.F.C. in the League One play-off final, scoring one of the four penalties that secured their promotion to the Football League Championship. Heckingbottom has currently made 42 appearances for Barnsley scoring one goal.

Bradford City

In July 2007, Heckingbottom returned to Bradford City A.F.C. on loan until 1 January 2008. He played in all 23 league games during his loan spell, missing only an FA Cup tie against Tranmere Rovers F.C. after he was suspended following a red card in a 1–1 draw with Stockport County F.C.. A week after his loan deal expired, his contract at Barnsley was cancelled by mutual consent and he signed a permanent 18 month deal at Bradford. He missed his first league game of the 2007-08 in English football season with four games left, when an ankle injury prevented him for playing against Brentford F.C. on 12 April 2008. Heckingbottom's place was taken by Luke O'Brien, who made his Bradford debut, in a 2–2 draw.

He played in the club's first nine league games of the 2008-09 in English football season, but was sent off in a 1–1 draw with Luton Town F.C. for two bookable offences.