82.3% passing accuracy: This Sheffield United first-teamer has gone under the radar this season | OneFootball

Many Sheffield United players have stepped up to the plate admirably this season and that hasn’t been an easy task considering their heartbreak in the play-offs in 2021/22.

Guiding themselves to second place so far, they could easily secure automatic promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking and have only been prevented from picking up more points by their dreadful injury record.

Others have made themselves stars to mitigate the effects of this crisis though, with Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie scoring nine league goals each, with the latter’s record particularly impressive considering his struggles in recent years.

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Sander Berge is another man that will be focused on in the coming months despite his injury struggles, with the Norway international unlikely to be short of interest if he can return to fitness soon and establish himself as an integral figure for the Blades again.

And at the back, it’s Anel Ahmedhodzic that has received a considerable amount of praise for his performances since making the summer switch from Malmo, with the board’s decision to invest in him paying dividends already.

But Oliver Norwood is a man who deserves a special mention, not just because of his performances but because of the statistics behind them too.

Two goals and three assists in 21 appearances may not be that eye-catching – but that sort of record is all that’s needed to push the Blades to the next level because of the contributions of others including McBurnie and Ndiaye.

And two goals he has scored were excellent, with his well-executed volley earning his team what could end up being a vital point against Blackpool.

His David Beckham-esque free-kick against Blackburn Rovers was also special and sums up how much of a threat he can be from set-pieces – providing Paul Heckingbottom’s men with an extra weapon.

In terms of his main asset, his passing has been a specialty of his for many years, even from his time at Huddersfield Town and Reading. Executing 82.3% of them in total this season and 54.9% of his long balls, he can be an asset when passing short and going more direct.

His quality on the ball was on full display against Cardiff City last month, helping to create opportunities for his team in open play and via corner kicks, with his first-half performance in the Welsh capital certainly going under the radar.

And though his 88.9% dribbling success rate during 2022/23 is impressive, his defensive contributions have been more important, with the 31-year-old making 4.88 interceptions per game and winning 66.4% of his defensive duels.

The experienced midfielder is a man who can do it all and he’s been a key cog in the Blades’ machine this term.