Sheffield United's Oli McBurnie shows mindset that can carry the Blades into Championship play-offs

In all honesty, praise for McBurnie from Heckingbottom is probably worth slightly less.

But in his last game there before the international break, against the Reds, the introduction of McBurnie as a substitute brought grumbles from the stands. When he was substituted in his next appearance there - Tuesday's 1-0 win over Queens Park Rangers - he came off to a standing ovation for the quality of his performance. It would surely have been even more rapturous had they known the backstory.

"He was actually throwing up with a stomach bug but if he'd declared himself fit I was going to start him and just get out of him what I could," revealed Heckingbottom afterwards. "He managed to keep some food down pre-match."

It is not the first time recently McBurnie has tried to play when he should not really have done. He declared himself fit for March's trip to Blackpool despite not having properly recovered from a dead leg at Coventry City. On that occasion, Heckingbottom decided it would be "unfair" to play him.

But with Billy Sharp injured and form wobbling just a touch after disappointing away performances at Coventry, Blackpool and Stoke City, the Blades needed to take full advantage of a return to the ground where they have fared so well this season.

They did, and McBurnie's display as a centre-forward was key to it.

Heckingbottom would tell you his striker is not the only one who has shown that determination to play in a heavy run-in, and he thinks they all should, but that does not make him ungrateful.

"You expect it but it's not as commonplace as it once was," he says. "It's something we demand here. I think they should demand it everywhere, in every place of work, but that's probably how I've been brought up.

"It's an expectation here and that's why I wanted to emphasise the point because it's important and it helped us get three points."

Showing the right attitude is one thing, but McBurnie's ovation came from the quality of football he produced, regularly linking up well with the outstanding Morgan Gibbs-White.

"I've had some honest conversations with him," says Heckingbottom. "I'm a fan but it's all right being a fan and it's all right talking a good game, you're judged on your actions all the time, we all will be.

"He has to deliver. Players have to deliver.

"Whether they've got the support of the manager or not whether they're upset with the manager or not, whatever the method is to get someone to deliver, they've got to deliver.

"He was in a bad way but he's delivered a performance which helped us great three points. I'm pleased with him and pleased for him.

"Oli's a good footballer and Morgan is. Morgan responds to good footballers around him, you can see, and I almost have to challenge him not just to pass to the people he wants to pass to. He does like to play a certain way.

"We know Oli and Morgan can link up, they do it all the time in training.

"I wasn't surprised by it but you've still go to see it delivered on the pitch.

"I was pleased with him but it was the workrate and the intensity we started the game with that delivered the performance and the points for us."

With the ability they have - albeit a bit too much for comfort is in the treatment room , with four of their last six matches at home, and from the point they find themselves in the table today, attitudes like McBurnie's should be enough to take the Blades' season into extra-time.