Paul Heckingbottom launches defence of Sheffield United duo ahead of Cardiff City trip | OneFootball

Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom believes Rhian Brewster and Sander Berge will come back stronger from their tough respective starts to life at Bramall Lane, speaking to The Star.

21-year-old Brewster, who joined the club in a £23.5m deal from Liverpool last October, has only scored three goals in 42 competitive appearances for the Blades thus far despite his potential and continued inclusion in the Three Lions’ youth setup.

Scoring an impressive 11 goals in 22 Championship displays for Swansea during the second half of the 2019/20 campaign, he will be disappointed with his current record but will be encouraged by his spell in South Wales as he takes the step down to the second tier.

Quiz: Has Billy Sharp ever scored a goal for Sheffield United at each of these 26 stadiums?

He also looks set to get himself back on track after scoring twice in his last three appearances – and will be hoping the appointment of new boss Heckingbottom will signal a turn-around in his fortunes in South Yorkshire.

One man who hasn’t even had the chance to make a real impression this season is Sander Berge, who arrived at Bramall Lane just two months before the first Covid-19 lockdown and has suffered with various injuries throughout his time at the club so far.

With this, the Norwegian international has made 39 appearances in all competitions for his current side, failing to provide value for money yet after joining the club for £22m, despite being the subject of interest from the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga during the summer.

Returning to the bench against Reading and making a brief cameo against Bristol City on Sunday, he will be hoping to win more minutes against Cardiff City this weekend, and Heckingbottom is backing both big-money signings to fight past their previous adversity.

Speaking to the Sheffield Star, the 44-year-old said: “Everyone can see the talent they both have got.

“They came to the club and it coincided with a difficult time. That is tough.

“It’s easier to jump in when a club is going well but they’ll be better and stronger for it. When they can get in the team and show everyone what they can do.”

The Verdict:

It’s clear both are very talented players and in better form, they would be competing in the top flight right now considering their age and room for improvement.

Berge might be approaching his mid-twenties now as he turns 24 next February, but that still gives him plenty of time to turn things around at United and compete in a top European league, with or without the Blades.

Staying injury-free will be the key to his success though because he needs a sustained run of games in the first team to show his class – and prove to potentially interested top-tier teams that he can be a reliable figure in the middle of the park.

This arguably makes his task a harder one than Brewster’s, with the latter performing well up top in his last two games despite not being able to get on the scoresheet against Reading.

Playing him out wide was one of Slavisa Jokanovic’s biggest mistakes during his brief tenure at the club – and that tactical decision from the Serbian only went a long way in destroying the England youth international’s confidence.

Under new management and a fresh approach, this is something he looks set to richly benefit from after scoring the opening goal of Heckingbottom’s permanent tenure at the club.