Sheffield United defender Ben Heneghan refuses to rule out Blackpool FC return next season

The defender has just four games of his season-long loan deal remaining before he returns to parent club Sheffield United.

The 25-year-old has been one of Pool’s most impressive performers during this year’s campaign.

He has made 45 appearances in all competitions and played a leading role in a backline that has kept 16 clean sheets.

Just last week manager Terry McPhillips admitted he would love to bring Heneghan back to Bloomfield Road.

Getting regular game time at Bramall Lane appears unlikely for Heneghan, especially with the Blades targeting automatic promotion to the Premier League.

All the centre-back is thinking about right now is finishing the current season as strongly as possible and getting as many games next season as possible.

“I suppose when you’re playing you’re always in the shop window but I’ve got another year left at Sheffield United,” Heneghan said.

“I’ll have to speak to them and see what happens after getting through these next four games.

“I just want to go somewhere and be playing. Personally if you’re not playing, you’re not happy. That’s just how players think.”

When asked if a return to Blackpool next season could be a possibility, Heneghan replied: “We don’t know what the future holds, do we? So we’ll see.”

Heneghan is likely to feature among many Blackpool fans’ player of the season nominations for his brave and commanding displays.

But the centre-back admits it’s not all been plain sailing at Bloomfield Road, having made a nervy start to life with the club.

“I started off a bit rusty if I’m being honest,” Heneghan added.

“I knew it would be like that because I hadn’t played the year before.

“I just needed to get in the swing of things with little movements and little timings, stuff like that.

“Gradually as it’s gone on it’s got better and better, which just shows I needed constant games.

“I just try and do my best every time I’m on the field and leave everything out there, that’s just my mentality.

“I will throw my body on the line for everything because I want those clean sheets.

“I want four clean sheets from our remaining four games, our recent record has not been good enough from my point of view.

“If we can get 20 clean sheets, I’d be happy with that.

“We’ve got an alright record but it can be a lot better, so we’ve got to work on it.”

Pool have nothing left to play for in terms of the promotion and relegation pictures, but Heneghan says the players can’t afford to look at things that way.

“You’ve got to play for your future firstly,” he said.

“But we want to want to finish as high as we can, so last four games we’ve just got to go and give it our all.”