Paul Heckingbottom on Sheffield United going top, Oli Norwood, Oli McBurnie and Iliman Ndiaye

Heckingbottom was more pleased with contributions coming from across the board, from Oli Norwood who scored a brilliant opener to a fantastic cameo from sub Iliman Ndiaye and a brilliant third goal.

The Blades chief was also thrilled with the display of Oli McBurnie, despite the fact that his goal drought continued.

Heckingbottom said: "In 40 games' time, if you are telling me we are top of the league, then I would be delighted. Now, it's about performance and trying to build something and get everyone up to speed and the new players to feel what we want to be. That's our focus at the minute because we are not going to do it with 11, but 23 or 24 players.

"We need everyone to be available, so when their moment arrives, they can help us maintain this form.

"The performance was really good. From start to finish, we were excellent. There was a purpose about us with the ball and we tried to move it quick and be positive. And there was an aggression without the ball to try and win it back and we made it difficult for Blackburn.

"That type of performance would have given anyone a game."

On the contributions of Norwood, McBurnie and Ndiaye, he added: "Oli (Norwood) is important. You go back to the Premier League when I was working with him and my only instruction was 'Get him on the ball.'

"That's his job and where he can stand out. I will never say anything if he gives the ball away, but if he is not getting on the ball, you become useless to us. Get on the ball and show what you are and he's got that and the range of passing and the shot as we have seen today.

He can be pleased with how he performed and as Macca (Stuart McCall) said to the players after the match, it would have been tough to pick a man of the match.

"He (McBurnie) was excellent. He was involved in all the good things we did and created his own chances as well as being on the end of chances and to get that many in a game shows the hard work everyone has been putting in with him - Macca, Jack and the medical guys getting him back fit is evidence of it.

"It was a big step forward.

"I have never seen a keeper have a performance like that and fair play to him. Luck, judgment or whatever you want to call it, he has been beaten 3-0, but he's made so many saves and so many were point-blank.

On Ndiaye's wonder strike, he said: "I have not seen it back, but my instinct is that I have never seen a goal like that before in a game I have been at. But he actually went past four people. He manipulates the ball with both feet. That's what makes him a danger when he's running at you. He is as comfortable and balanced going both ways."