Chris Wilder is wary that Sheffield United need to be “careful” of piling the pressure on their promising young starlets, despite admitting that he hopes to be able to work with Oliver Arblaster for the long term after his composed full Premier League debut on Saturday. The 20-year-old boyhood Blade followed up a bright cameo off the bench against Arsenal with a first top-flight start at Bournemouth, which he almost marked with a fairytale goal.
After the Cherries equalised in the 91st minute, the Blades had to settle for a point and make the long trip back north. It was almost a fairytale debut for Arblaster, with United just minutes away from a victory that would have lifted spirits. That did not depress the full away end too much, though, as Arblaster was escorted in their direction by a pleased manager Wilder and was then showered with a song of his name by his fellow Blades supporters.
Arblaster, who has long been anticipated as a future star for the Blades, just signed a deal that will keep him with the team from his youth. It runs until 2028. And Wilder called the experience “amazing”—a man who understands exactly what it’s like to go from being a United fan to a player.
“We told him to make sure his parents aren’t doing anything over the weekend when we spoke with him on Thursday. We informed them that Bournemouth is a beautiful place and asked if they liked it. especially on sunny days. There are some pleasant people nearby. And to make sure they got themselves down and purchased a couple of tickets if they fancied spending a weekend in Bournemouth. We can only hope that they are just as proud of their son as we are.
“We must exercise caution when developing young players, but he gave a confident performance and made some excellent choices. He drove up the ball with the pitch for our second goal late in the game, but he was a little upset with the outcome. However, he will improve with experience, and I’m happy with the people he plays for and supports. And perhaps in the medium and long term, we can collaborate with him.”
That statement could be read as a hint that Arblaster might leave the team in the future, but for the time being, United has done everything they can by locking their young starlet down to a contract that will last until at least the summer of 2028. Arblaster is known to be a level-headed young man, and he has been targeted for a significant role in the upcoming season and beyond, regardless of the division the Blades play in.
“I’m a player here, and I want to play for Sheffield United,” Arblaster declared following his performance against Bournemouth. I’m committed to that right now. I think the fans that travelled down were fantastic. Everyone is very pleased of me; my family has been following along, and I’ve received a lot of messages, but I feel like this is just the beginning, and I need to keep going in the next game.”
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