Sunderland must try beat Watford to sign modern day Sheffield United hero: View | OneFootball

Oliver Norwood is set to wave goodbye to Bramall Lane next month, bringing an end to his six-year association with Sheffield United in the process.

The influential midfielder has been influential in the Blades’ recent success as a Championship side, having secured two promotions from the second tier over the past five years.

With over 200 appearances for the Yorkshire side to his name, it was an emotional send-off for the 33-year-old on Sunday, as he waved goodbye to the fans that have sung his name from the terraces for more than half a decade.

But Sheffield United’s loss could be Sunderland’s gain this summer, with the Black Cats already rumoured to be interested in bringing the playmaker to the Stadium of Light during the off-season.

Oliver Norwood leaves Sheffield United after six successful years at Bramall Lane

The Mackems are just one of a number of second tier sides said to be interested in bringing Norwood to the club ahead of the next campaign, with Hull City and Watford also said to be keen.

With 27 appearances in the Premier League in the most recent campaign, the former Reading man still has what it takes to perform at the highest level of the game, and that experience can make all the difference during a gruelling Championship season.

The midfielder is a man who has been there, seen it and done it when it comes to the second tier; having played ten seasons at the level during the course of his career, with two ending in promotion to the Premier League.

Whether it is his metronomic retaining of possession in the middle of the park, his ability to pick out a teammate with a length of the pitch pass, or chipping in with the odd goal here and there, Norwood is a man who oozes class with the ball at his feet.

You only have to look back at his previous performances at this level to see evidence of that, with a place in the 18/19 PFA Championship Team of the Year testament to his abilities at controlling a match from the engine room as the Blades earned promotion.

It was only 12 months ago that he was finishing a campaign with the second most progressive passes in the division with 329, while only six players touch the ball (3172) more times over the course of the whole campaign, such was his impact on that free-flowing Blades side that finished the league in second spot.

What sometimes goes under the radar with Norwood is his tenacity when out of possession, with his league-leading 77 tackles in the 22/23 campaign backed up by just as many interceptions, as he ran his socks off to keep his side on the front foot throughout the 90 minutes.

Oliver Norwood could be the experienced campaigner Sunderland need to progress in the Championship next season

That sort of steel in the middle of the park is exactly what Sunderland could benefit from ahead of the next campaign, with a wily campaigner who is willing to do the dirty work on the middle of the park.

Not only would Norwood’s influence help on the pitch, but his experience would prove invaluable in guiding the youthful Black Cats side through the rigours of a Championship campaign; something which caught up with them this year.

The Northeast side regularly provided the youngest starting eleven in the second tier throughout the course of the 23/24 season, with the 21.0 average age of the team that started the 4-2 defeat to Southampton in March the lowest of the lot.

While the exuberance and enthusiasm of youth can get you so far, sometimes there is a need for an old head to guide those fresh faces through the hard times, just like the Wearsiders had in the final few months of the season.

Two victories from their final 15 matches saw the campaign come to a faltering end at the Stadium of Light, with interim boss Mike Dodds struggling to steer the ship among a tide of ill-feeling at the goings-on at the club.

This summer sees the chance for all the wrongs of the last campaign to be righted though, and the arrival of Norwood would mean they mean business and would provide a consistency needed to maintain a play-off push.

With Watford and Hull both said to be sniffing around, the managerless Mackems will need to act quick to avoid missing out on an experienced campaigner to aid their efforts for next season and give them another dimension in the middle of the park.