Sheffield United have a rich history of producing youngsters over the last two decades.
The Blades have one of the best academies around when it comes to players making the jump into the first-team.
The likes of Phil Jagielka, Michael Tonge, and Nick Montgomery did just that in the early 2000s. Further down the line, the likes of Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton got themselves big Premier League moves. In more recent times, Harry Maguire and David Brooks have gone on to be Premier League regulars.
It’s something the Blades can be proud of. It’s kept the club going at times and United have certainly reaped the financial rewards from some of those aforementioned stars.
However, in recent times, the production line seems to have slowed slightly. David Brooks was the last player to make a massive impression. Brooks, though, was sold to Bournemouth with the Blades still in the Championship.
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2020, then, could be a massive year for the club. With their Premier League status looking likely to be secured for another year barring a disaster, Chris Wilder will be looking for some of his young players to start knocking on the door going into the 2020/21 campaign.
With that in mind, we’ve looked at THREE Sheffield United youngsters who might well make the grade in 2020…
David Parkhouse
20-year-old forward, David Parkhouse, has already proved he knows where the back of the net is in a very impressive spell at Derry City. He scored 11 goals during his time in Ireland, cementing his status as one of the top young players at Bramall Lane.
However, rumours have already surfaced of potential interest from Celtic in Parkhouse. Indeed, the striker has admitted he doesn’t know if he will leave the Blades or not.
It would be a shame to see Parkhouse not get his chance for United. With it being such an exciting time for the club, you’d hope Parkhouse gets his head down and works hard to try and get himself into the first-team picture.
Sam Graham
Graham is a 19-year-old defender who already has a number of loan spells under his belt. He is contracted to the club until 2020 and will have been disappointed to see a loan spell with Notts County cut short due to injury.
The youngster would have been hoping for a big year with County but now must fight his way back into the reckoning. If he recovers from injury, it’s likely that another loan move will be sorted for Graham.
He’s enjoyed previous short-term spells at both Halifax and Oldham Athletic, where he played a handful of times for each club to gain valuable first-team experience.
Marcus Dewhurst
Another teenager, goalkeeper Marcus Dewhurst is currently enjoying a loan spell with Guiseley FC after impressing Chris Wilder over the summer.
The Blades have history when it comes to producing goalkeepers. George Long did well until being replaced by Simon Moore. Aaron Ramsdale, meanwhile, has made the number one spot his own at Bournemouth since making his move away from Bramall Lane.
Dewhurst will be hoping that regular football with Guiseley can help his cause. However, Simon Moore and Michael Verrips are on the books at Bramall Lane. Once Dean Henderson returns to Manchester United, Dewhurst might be one who has to play the long game with his career.