David Brooks returns to Hillsborough tonight for the first time winning there with Sheffield United in a game which “skyrocketed” his career.
Bournemouth play Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship this evening for the first time in more than five years.
Brooks has visited Wednesday a little more recently than that – and enjoyed great success. The midfielder was part of the Blades team that won 4-2 in the Steel City derby in September 2017.
Brooks left for the Premier League the following summer when he joined the Cherries in a £10m deal. Which may never have happened without that eye-catching performance at Hillsborough.
“That game kind of skyrocketed my career really,” Brooks told The Daily Echo.
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“It will be nice to go back but I don’t really have a massive vengeance to go back, if you know what I mean! Hopefully we can get the points.
“I can imagine I would probably get a bit of stick for playing for Sheffield United but obviously there’s no fans there.”
Brooks and THAT match at Hillsborough
(Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
The victory for United marked their first fixture with their great rivals in five years, having languished in League One during that time.
Yet under Chris Wilder they looked an entirely different prospect, having won the title with 100 points the previous season.
This truly announced their comeback and saw them beat the Owls for the first time since 2009. As well as win at their stadium for the first time since 2006.
John Fleck and Leon Clarke gave the Blades an early 2-0 lead, before Wednesday pegged them back to 2-2. But a memorable third from substitute Mark Duffy and a second from Clarke against his former club sealed the three points.
Brooks was excellent in the game, as United went onto finish 10th that term. They were promoted again the following year as they truly moved ahead of their rivals.
