Sheffield United struck gold with double transfer - It transformed the Blades | OneFootball

The arrivals of John Fleck and Jack O'Connell in 2016 sent Sheffield United on a completely different trajectory.

While Sheffield United have been a regular promotion candidate in recent years, the club found themselves in a torrid situation a decade ago.

With three failed play-off attempts along the way, the Blades spent six years in League One after what originally was thought to be a quick drop down and reset in the third tier.

Over the summer of 2016, two additions arrived who would go on to write their names into Bramall Lane folklore.

Arriving from Brentford and Coventry City respectively, Jack O'Connell and John Fleck played integral roles in Sheffield United's rise through the divisions, with the club still benefiting from the incredible period.

Transformed Blades fly to the Championship

After a mid-table finish in the 2015/16 campaign, Chris Wilder's side required a shakeup, with Fleck and O'Connell being two of the names to come in through the door during the summer before the 2016/17 term.

"I'm delighted that the board have backed this signing because Jack is an exciting talent," Wilder told club media.

"John is an outstanding midfield player in League One, and we believe he can play at a higher level."

The Blades would go on to storm to the League One title, with Wilder's side losing just six times as the club secured their ascent back to the second tier.

Fleck and O'Connell were regulars, with midfielder Fleck providing 15 assists throughout the campaign. And both were seemingly more than ready to make the step-up to the Championship.

And this would be the case, with the club securing a top-half finish in their first year back, and even finding themselves part of the promotion race for large parts.

Sheffield United did the unthinkable - they went one step further

Three years after arriving, both Fleck and O'Connell were integral to a remarkable promotion campaign that saw the club earn promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since relegation in 2007.

As he was during the League One days, Fleck was at the heart of everything positive in the middle of the park. His deliveries into the box caused chaos, and his bulldog-like approach opened up attacking opportunities from a variety of areas.

O'Connell thrived in Wilder's unconventional setup perfectly. As an overlapping centre-back, his runs forward, with Chris Basham doing the same, became a signature of the Blades' way of playing.

And defensively, he was just as impressive, with United conceding just 41 goals in the 2018/19 campaign as they finished second in the Championship behind a dominant Norwich side.

And even following promotion, this wouldn't change. Operating in the same system, and keeping faith in the same group that stormed to the League One title just two years prior in 2017.

The Blades went on to finish ninth after an incredible Premier League campaign that could have ended differently if not for the COVID-19-impacted run-in.

This would mark the peak of both players' careers, with O'Connell's being cut short due to a knee injury. While Fleck continued as a valuable servant, playing his part in another promotion push in both 2021/22 and 2022/23 after relegation back to the second tier in 2021.

Fleck left the club in the winter of 2023 after seven and a half years of service at Bramall Lane. Between the pair, Fleck and O'Connell amassed over 400 league appearances in red and white.

Decisions ahead of the 2016/17 season proved to be defining for Sheffield United. The arrivals of Jack O'Connell and John Fleck would kickstart a new era at Bramall Lane, while also starting the Blades careers of two of the club's finest servants.