Blades sign pre-contract £4m Everton transfer agreement

December 14, 2024 admin Sheffield United news 0

Following a spectacular start to their Championship career, Sheffield United appears to be in a strong position to recover on their first try after being demoted from the top tier last season following only one season in the division.

In spite of the uncertainties surrounding takeovers, manager Chris Wilder managed to add ten new players this summer, including two attackers Tyrese Campbell and Kieffer Moore.

Although Moore hasn’t yet shown his finest form at Bramall Lane, Campbell has had a significant influence in recent weeks and won over Blades fans when he scored the game-winning goal in his team’s 1-0 triumph against Sheffield Wednesday in the November Steel City derby.

Moore and Campbell may be trying to emulate James Beattie, who had an extraordinarily successful tenure in South Yorkshire from 2007 to 2009, but they will also be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former United strikers like Billy Sharp, Oli McBurnie, and Iliman Ndiaye who propelled the team to promotion from the Championship.

Sheffield United struck gold with James Beattie deal

After being relegated from the Premier League, United made a lot of purchases in the summer of 2007, and Beattie became their star acquisition after joining from Everton for £4 million.

Beattie had previously played for teams like Southampton and Blackburn Rovers, and his respectable goal totals in the Premier League gave the Blades faith that he would be able to contribute in the Championship.

That is exactly how it turned out, as Beattie scored an incredible 22 goals and dishevelled four assists in 41 games in his first season at Bramall Lane. In the second division, only Sylvan Ebanks-Blake scored more goals than the former England international.

Regretfully, Beattie’s teammates were unable to match his high standards. Although United saw a late surge in performance following the appointment of Kevin Blackwell as manager in February, the striker was rewarded for his exceptional individual performances by winning the club’s Player of the Year award.

Beattie continued to be in excellent form the following season, scoring 12 goals and dishing out three assists in his first 24 games as the Blades emerged as automatic promotion contenders. However, the club was dealt a severe blow when he left for Stoke City in January 2009 for a reported £3.5 million, and Blackwell’s team ultimately lost to Burnley in the Wembley play-off final.

Beattie concluded the 2008–09 season as United’s top scorer despite departing the team in January. With the team finishing just three points behind second-place Birmingham City, fans will undoubtedly have questioned what may have happened if they had retained their number nine.

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