Millwall will be thankful Sheffield United spell was short-lived: View | OneFootball

Ryan Leonard's time at Bramall Lane never took off, but that played right into the Lions' hands

With over 150 matches for Millwall, Ryan Leonard has been a crucial member of the Lions squad over the past six years, with his all-action displays setting the standard for his teammates across the board.

The no-nonsense versatile defender has plenty of experience from a career that has amassed 400 league appearances, from Plymouth Argyle to The Den, via Southend United and Sheffield United.

Things could have been so different for the Devon-born player had his big move to Bramall Lane worked out differently in 2018 though, with his stint at the Yorkshire side failing to live up to what he thought it may have been.

But Millwall were left to pick up the pieces, and were given a ready-made club hero on a plate, with his showings endearing himself to those in Cold Blow Lane ever since day one.

Ryan Leonard failed to make his mark after Sheffield United move

After racking up over 250 appearances for Southend, Leonard had established himself as a top player within the EFL, with his dedication to the Shrimpers seeing them spearheading them to consecutive top half finishes in the third tier.

His athleticism and versatility to fill in either in defence or midfield was paramount to those displays, with a reliable performance expected from him where ever he was played on the field.

As a result, it was only a matter of time before Championship interest came in, and Sheffield United were the ones to make them theirs in January 2017, as he finally got his big break into the Championship.

With 17 minutes of second tier football under his belt as a teenager for boyhood side Plymouth Argyle, this was something of a return to the big time for Leonard, although even after his wealth of experience, he has since admitted the step up took some getting used to.

Talking to The Argyle Podcast in 2022, Leonard said: “Obviously I made my debut in the Championship, but I had never played properly in the Championship, so to make that step up from League One was big.

“I didn’t realise the size of the step up until I played in the Championship, every player is physically strong, good on the ball, tactically aware, they have a bit of everything.

“You don’t play in the Championship if you don’t have aspects of everything to your game, so it was a really big step up, and at the time it was an eye-opener for me.”

While he was still adapting to the level, the Blades had seemingly already made up their mind regarding their January recruit, with Millwall the benefactors of the Yorkshire side’s decision.

Ryan Leonard has become a Millwall stalwart ever since 2018 move

Ever since the Devonian signed for the Lions, the two were destined to be a match made in heaven, with the defender not leaving anything on the pitch during his performances in Bermondsey.

After an initial loan, the East London side couldn’t wait to snap the star up on a permanent deal months later, with a mutually beneficial relationship blossoming ever since.

A dominant force on the pitch who so often leads by example with his ruthless performances at the back, Leonard has become synonymous with the Millwall way; making his side a tough nut to crack over the past half-decade.

Only injuries have prevented the star from making even more appearances during his time in the capital, with a succession of setbacks keeping him from the field in recent years, before coming back to feature 35 times in the previous campaign.