Paul Heckingbottom has admitted “big pay” was one of the factors that saw his Sheffield United side lose out in the battle for free agent Tom Lawrence’s signature as he rued the missed chance to sign Rangers’ new Welsh international.
The Blades were confident they could land the 28-year-old former Derby County captain but ex-Hibs gaffer Heckingbottom was forced to admit defeat after Lawrence opted for Ibrox and the chance of Champions League football for the next step in his career. Giovanni van Bronckhorst was delighted to land Lawrence as he continues to strengthen his squad for the 2022/23 season but for Heckingbottom he is the one who got away and the Europa League finalists just had too much to offer the player in the end which the Yorkshire side couldn’t compete with.
Heckingbottom said: “A team who got to the Europa Cup final last year, things like that, it's going to be a big pull. Obviously, big pay is a big pull, different football, it's one of those things. You can't get them all. Would I have liked him, yeah, but we didn't manage to get him. If Rangers hadn't have come in and blown everyone out of the water I would have backed us to get him."
Yorkshire Live reports that Sheffield United “began making provisions to welcome him (Lawrence) on to their pre-season tour to Portugal. However, an 11th-hour move from the Ibrox club saw them 'blow everyone out of the water’.”
Lawrence himself told Rangers TV: "At the stage of my career I’m at now I want to be winning stuff and Rangers are a massive club. I want to be part of a successful team here. The stature of the club. It’s one of the biggest clubs around. I want to win things at my age and they’ve got a great team already and I want to be a part of a great team this season.”
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