Sheffield United will hope that out-of-form duo can follow Leeds United star's example: View | OneFootball

Sheffield United will be hoping Rhian Brewster and Tom Davies can take a leaf out of Leeds United star Crysencio Summerville's book next season and seize the chance to kick-start their careers in the Championship.

The Blades are preparing for life in the second tier after their return to the Premier League ended in miserable fashion as they finished rock bottom with just 16 points and conceded a Premier League record 104 goals in 38 matches.

Chris Wilder is expected to overhaul his squad, but with limited room for financial largesse, getting the best out of the existing squad will be just as important as any new signings.

To that extent, Brewster and Davies could be key for the Blades next term.

Injuries have derailed Rhian Brewster and Tom Davies's times at Sheffield United

The former is yet to justify Sheffield United's decision to shell out up to £23.5 million to sign him from Liverpool four years ago, scoring a paltry five goals in 77 appearances in all competitions.

The latter, meanwhile, has been similarly underwhelming after arriving from Everton on a free transfer last summer. Davies played just nine games for the Blades in his debut season, which was hampered by a serious injury in October which kept him out until the end of January.

He returned to full fitness in February but managed just 67 minutes of football across four Premier League games, before making his first start of the season in the 6-0 defeat at home to Arsenal on March 4 and then started the 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth four days later.

The 25-year-old, however, was substituted at half-time on both occasions and did not play for the remainder of the season.

Brewster's season was also derailed by injury, with a hamstring injury sidelining him until the end of September. Once he returned to full fitness, the striker started just three of his 14 Premier League appearances, with another hamstring injury sidelining him for a month in March.

Crysencio Summerville can serve as inspiration to Sheffield United pair

Brewster's Sheffield United career has hitherto been nothing short of disastrous, but Summerville's development at Leeds suggests the Blades have reason to persevere with him and Davies for at least another season.

The Dutchman took his time to find his feet in England after joining from Feyenoord in 2020, managing just 202 minutes of football across nine appearances in his first senior season at Elland Road after scoring six goals and setting up a further six in the Premier League Under-21 the previous term.

Biding his time paid off for Summerville, who gradually established himself as a key figure for Leeds, scoring four in 28 Premier League appearances as the Whites were relegated in the 2022-23 season.

The 22-year-old hasn't looked back since and, in fact, exploded into life in the Championship last term, scoring 19 goals and setting up a further seven in 43 league appearances last term as Leeds finished third.

The Whites' bid for promotion ended in disappointment with a 1-0 defeat to Southampton at Wembley in the play-off final, but Summerville scooped up the Championship Player of the Year award.

While Brewster and Davies are not on Summerville's level, both have shown signs of promise before injuries intervened. The former, a Golden Boot winner and Under-17 world champion with England, scored 11 goals in 22 Championship games while on loan at Swansea in the 2019-20 season.

Davies, meanwhile, won 23 caps for England Under-21 and remains the youngest player to ever captain Everton, with which he racked up 179 appearances.

If Wilder can get the pair firing next season, the Blades' chances of returning to the Premier League will greatly improve.