Championship can unlock forgotten trait that helped Sheffield United star shine at Birmingham City: View | OneFootball

Sheffield United's relegation to the Championship provides the club with an opportunity to hit the reset button.

The Blades' one season back in the Premier League was well-documented and discussed at length by outsiders, albeit for the completely wrong reasons.

Chris Wilder has already spoken about the surgery that will take place regarding his squad over the course of the summer transfer window, noting that more established players with Championship experience will be targeted to supplement the development of youngsters such as Andre Brooks and Ollie Arblaster, as they test themselves at second tier level on a regular basis for the very first time.

Although a rebuild is needed, scattered throughout the crux of his squad are a number of players who are seasoned in the EFL, and a drop back into the second tier could prove more than beneficial for one of his centre-backs.

Auston Trusty's first season at Bramall Lane

There was a belief that Auston Trusty would adapt well to the demands of the Premier League. However, his first season at Bramall Lane, as was a reoccurring theme throughout the squad, was littered with inconsistent performances and a record-high concession of goals.

Even with those inconsistencies, the man who signed from Arsenal for a reported £5m fee last August, still shone out above plenty of his colleagues, but there is still room for improvement in his game, which can be found over the course of the next 12 months.

Trusty described his move to the Steel City as the "right move at the right time" for his career. Whilst relegation was far from ideal, the fact there's still three years left on his contract to resurrect such beliefs will no doubt fuel the fire inside the two-time USMNT international.

Just one clean sheet in 32 appearances in the top flight, along with three errors which directly led to a shot or goal don't exactly make for positive reading. However, as well as improving his defensive metrics in the second tier, the drop in division could also bring the best out of Trusty's threat in attacking set-pieces, having previously demonstrated those efficiencies in the 2022/23 campaign.

Auston Trusty's stellar loan spell with Birmingham City

The American earned a reputation as a hot prospect in the second tier during a successful loan spell at Birmingham City two years ago, under the management of John Eustace.

In what was his first experience of the English game, the now 25-year-old flourished in a team known for its grittiness and efficient use of set-plays, as well as having the ability to play out from the back when required.

Blues possessed some fine technical players such as Hannibal Mejbri and Juninho Bacuna, who often turned provider for others when it came to the threat from set pieces, which Trusty was able to profit from on four occasions, including an audacious attempt in a 2-0 win over QPR, a dramatic 97th-minute winner in a 4-3 away victory to Swansea to add to his first two goals which came in a 3-0 home success against Bristol City in October 2022.

Unsurprisingly, the potency in front of goal, two assists and the accumulation of 13 clean sheets in 44 complete second tier appearances landed the centre-back the club's Player of The Season award, and it's such form that Wilder and the United squad will be hoping he can emulate in their bid for success.

Sheffield United must utilise creative forces next season

It's not just Trusty who enjoyed a fruitful campaign in the 22/23 second tier with another side that's in the Blades ranks either, with Gustavo Hamer also falling into said category.

Hamer was undisputedly the shining light in a dismal season last campaign too, with ten goal contributions.

The Dutch-Brazilian playmaker struck up a great relationship with Coventry's Viktor Gyokeres in the Sky Blues' run to the play-off final in the season United gained automatic promotion, and supporters will be pinning their hopes on the 26-year-old to do the same again with the Bramall Lane frontmen, which could still include Oli McBurnie and Ben Brereton Diaz, both prolific at this level in recent times.

However, the man who totalled 10 assists in Sky Blue across that campaign will now be tasked at providing for the likes of Trusty even more next season, following the departure of fellow creative force, Ollie Norwood.

If United can unlock the American's goal threat once again and have a successful campaign, who knows what lies ahead for the Pennsylvania native.