Sheffield United: Chris Wilder praised for one particular "absolute bargain" at Bramall Lane | OneFootball

Football League World's Blades Fan Pundit has named the striker as the club's best transfer masterstroke.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield United will be raring to get back underway following the international break, and their clash against Coventry City on Friday evening cannot come quick enough for Chris Wilder and his team.

It is set to be an intriguing battle between a side pushing for automatic promotion and one that looks set to finish this campaign in fifth place after going through an incredible resurgence under Frank Lampard in the last few months.

The game could easily be a dress rehearsal for the play-off final in May at Wembley, but this is something that the Blades will be looking to avoid desperately as they look to leapfrog Leeds United into first place.

It's already been a strong season for Sheffield United, and one that has been helped greatly by some excellent signings made in both the summer and winter transfer windows that have ensured that they have been able to make a real push for promotion back to the Premier League.

David McGoldrick named in Sheffield United transfer debate

Bringing in the right people at the right time has been one of Wilder's true strengths at Bramall Lane across his two spells at the club, and has meant that success has followed him in S2.

Michael Cooper has been one of the very best signings of the season in the Championship, and his ability to keep the Blades either in games or in front has been a key reason behind their promotion form.

Nevertheless, Football League World has asked their Sheffield United Fan Pundit, Jimmy from Blades Ramble, what is the biggest transfer masterstroke ever played by the club.

He told FLW: "There are so many options for a transfer masterstroke and Chris Wilder is involved in all of them from my perspective.

"I can't go way, way back to the days of Tony Currie and players like that because that was before my time. So, from the teams that I've seen, I mean, at the moment, there are two shouts for absolute masterstroke signings this season.

"Michael Cooper at £2m, I think he's the best goalkeeper in the Championship. I think he will play for England. He is that good. Tyrese Campbell has been an absolute revelation on a free transfer.

"You could go back to Jack O'Connell coming in for £500k. Enda Stevens on a free, John Fleck on a free, Mark Duffy on a free transfer. Billy Sharp coming back for a low fee and having such success in his third spell with the club."

Jimmy continued: "But I think the one player that stands out to everybody just because of his absolute class, was David McGoldrick.

"He came in on trial, scored in a pre-season friendly against Inter Milan, no less, and was an absolutely unbelievable player for Sheffield United. It doesn't mean he was the best ever player, I'm not saying that, but in terms of an absolute bargain, they don't get much better than McGoldrick in terms of class and quality."

McGoldrick was incredibly impressive for Sheffield United

Sheffield United came along at the right time for McGoldrick, as he had not had the easiest of few years at Ipswich Town before making the switch, and he quickly became a key part of Wilder's plans.

Goals flowed in the Championship and then the Premier League for the forward and his maverick style of play stood out as he did not quite have the pace to be the marauding striker that may have been needed at times.

Instead, he was able to drift inside and out with the ball effortlessly and push his team forward in a different kind of way.

It's a trait that he has only improved upon in the last few years since leaving the Blades, with both Derby County and Notts County benefiting. But it cannot be denied just how important McGoldrick was to Sheffield United, scoring eight goals in 35 top flight matches in the 2020/21 campaign after joining for free in the summer of 2018.