Football League World
·12 de dezembro de 2024
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Yahoo sportsFootball League World
·12 de dezembro de 2024
It was an emotional evening at The Den for the striker.
After going more than two years without a goal in competitive games for the Sheffield United first-team, Rhian Brewster finally managed to end his long wait against Millwall.
Injury issues have heavily limited the former Liverpool striker's opportunities on the pitch this season, but he got himself in an unmissable position to provide a telling blow in the Blades' 1-0 win over the Lions.
Gus Hamer was played in behind thanks to a lovely diagonal ball by captain Jack Robinson. His first touch, as you'd expect, was sublime, and Brewster saw what was coming next.
He positioned himself right in the middle of the goal, ready for the ball to be squared back across to him. It came to him and he finished with ease into an empty net.
Considering the defensive resilience that Chris Wilder's side have shown for much of the season, the hosts did have their fair share of chances to get a goal of their own, but they ultimately failed to take them.
Their manager, Neil Harris, who took charge of his last game at The Den as Millwall boss on Wednesday against the Blades, said that United's moment of quality was what separated the two sides.
Having such a long goal drought as a striker can be very tough to deal with, mentally. Combine that with the long periods that Brewster has had to spend on the sideline, either due to injury or being out of favour, it'll really test you.
Finding the back of the net must have been such a relieving feeling for the 24-year-old, who moved to Bramall Lane in 2020 in a deal worth up to £23.5 million. His teammates were equally pleased for him.
Ollie Arblaster, who, himself, is going through a difficult period in his career after picking up a potentially season-ending knee injury in the Steel City derby, was over the moon to see Brewster score.
He was watching on TV and put out an Instagram story after the Blades went 1-0 up which said: "So happy for the boy @rhianbrewster."
The man that Brewster has replaced in Wilder's starting XI, Tyrese Campbell, who has been the club's main talisman this season, was overjoyed too. "I TOLD YOU. That's it my boy," said Campbell on his own Instagram story.
It was an emotional night for the striker for more reasons than just breaking his wait for a goal. He revealed after the game that his cousin, Kaylen Denis, had passed away earlier that day. "That one was for him," Brewster stated after the match to Football Heaven.
It's easy to lose that belief when you haven't hit the back of the net for so long in a game, but this goal, even if it was the simplest of finishes, should really help the 24-year-old. Even just getting to celebrate and dedicate it to his cousin, it'll be a big weight lifted off his shoulders.
His close-range strike also took the Blades back to the top of the Championship. They have a real battle on their hands at the moment with Yorkshire rivals Leeds United for first place. If the likes of Brewster, and the returning Kieffer Moore, can start to chip in with more goal contributions, it'll put United in a very strong position to hold onto their high ranking.