Sheffield United landing Portsmouth FCs player of the year was as shrewd as it comes: View | OneFootball

Enda Stevens became a key man for the Blades in his six years at the club

Some of Sheffield United's most successful seasons in their history have been in the last few years, and one man embodied their spirit brilliantly throughout that time after his 2017 signing under Chris Wilder.

The Blades had just been promoted from League One to the Championship for the 2017/18 season, and so understandably looked to sign some top players from the third-tier that they believed would be able to make the step-up, with the likes of Ched Evans, John Lundstram and George Baldock brought in to bolster their squad.

As well as that trio, Portsmouth left-back Enda Stevens joined United on a free transfer, fresh off the back of promotion from League Two and picking up a host of individual awards with Pompey, including their Player of the Season trophy for his standout performances.

Stevens stayed at Bramall Lane for six years, and turned out to be one of the best bargain buys in the club's history, as he helped them to two promotions into the Premier League and was a part of Wilder's iconic 2019/20 team that took the top-flight by storm.

Enda Stevens became a Sheffield United cult hero

Stevens signed a three-year contract when he joined the Blades, and while he was already 27-years-old by the time his debut campaign at the club began, he set about making the most of his opportunity to prove himself at the highest level he had played at since a few fleeting Premier League appearances for Aston Villa in 2012/13.

He was a mainstay in Wilder's side in 2017/18 at left-wing-back, with 45 appearances, four assists and one goal in the league, as he was statistically dubbed as one of the best value signings of the season, but it was the 2018/19 campaign when the team really kicked into gear and Stevens became a part of history.

The former Pompey man won his first call-up to the Republic of Ireland national team in June 2018, and soon became a regular for the Boys in Green over the next few years, which is no wonder given his excellent showings that helped the Blades to win promotion back to the top-flight in 2019, with another 45 appearances in his second season at the club as Wilder's side finished 2nd in the Championship.

He was particularly important in the final stages of that campaign, with four goals in the final six games to help stave off Leeds United's challenge for the automatic promotion places.

It had been a long road for the Irishman to get back into the Premier League from his time with Villa, and neither he nor any Blades fans could have dreamed of how well the 2019/20 season was to go, as they became the surprise package of that term by finishing 9th in the top-flight and completing one of the best seasons in the history of the club.

Stevens was, once again, an important cog in Wilder's system, as he provided the foil for his innovative overlapping centre-backs system that caught most teams off guard, and he started every single league game at left-wing-back, with two goals and four assists throughout the campaign.

Despite that high, the Blades were brought crashing back down to earth in 2020/21, as they finished bottom of the league with just 23 points in a stark contrast to their impressive showings the year before, and Stevens picked up a few injuries that meant he made 30 Premier League appearances, and came in for some criticism from supporters.

His final two seasons at Bramall Lane saw his influence lessen on the team under Paul Heckingbottom, as niggling injuries and new competition brought in on the left side of defence restricted him to 24 appearances in 2021/22, and then just 13 games in 2022/23 as the Blades returned to the Premier League, and he was released upon the expiry of his contract last summer.

Stevens may not have been the most flashy player for Sheffield United, but he was certainly effective when fit and full of confidence, and his signing was a very shrewd one that helped the club to great success in his six years in South Yorkshire.

Stevens found a home at Bramall Lane

Stoke City, it is clear to see that he will hold the Blades at the forefront of his mind whenever the time comes to hang up his boots.

His 202 appearances for the South Yorkshire side is over double that of the 99 games he played for Portsmouth, and while he enjoyed success at Fratton Park both individually and in a team, it was surely eclipsed by the two promotions to the Premier League and impressive top-flight campaign he enjoyed with United.

The Irishman's other notable spells came with Shamrock Rovers from 2010 to 2011, where he helped them win consecutive League of Ireland Premier Division titles, Aston Villa, with whom he made just nine appearances across four seasons, and now with the Potters, where he was a largely peripheral figure but did do enough last season to earn a contract extension in May.

He will be best remembered for his time at Bramall Lane when his career is looked back upon in years to come, and rightly so given his standout showings for the Blades.