Chris Wilder on Tom Davies’ appearances for Sheffield United U21’s as they chase fifth league title in-a-row | OneFootball

Sheffield United midfielder Tom Davies is steadily working his way back to full fitness, with recent appearances for United’s development team signalling positive strides.

After making the move to the Blades with a reputation as a reliable Premier League midfielder, injuries sidelined Davies and stopped him from having an impact last term. However, his recent progress suggests he’s not far from competing for a spot in the first-team lineup.

In the past two games for United’s U21 squad, Davies has been managed carefully by the club, starting both matches but exiting at halftime to avoid overloading his minutes. This strategy aims to reintroduce him gradually and ensure he reaches peak fitness without risking further setbacks.

As Davies’ fitness improves, there’s growing anticipation for his return to the senior team. The upcoming Steel City derby might be just out of reach for him, but there’s a strong possibility that he’ll be ready to make his comeback after the international break.

Speaking in his recent press conference, Chris Wilder emphasised the midfielder’s eagerness to get back on the pitch. “He came to play in the Premier League, he came as a Premier League player,” Wilder stated. Addressing a common misconception about injured players, he added, “Professional footballers don’t want to be injured. They want to be involved on the grass Monday to Friday and want to go and play. Tom came to play football, and he hasn’t played football. He’ll be absolutely delighted when he’s back in contention.”

United’s staff will continue to monitor him closely, with hopes that he’ll feature more extensively in their next U21 match against Hull City.

Louie Marsh (L) congratulates Ryan One (R) after scoring the equaliser for Sheffield United against York City, at the LNER Community stadium, in the Blades’ first pre-season friendly.

Sheffield United running away with the Professional Development League, again

Davies, along with some other first-team players such as Andre Brooks, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Femi Seriki, featured in the development team’s recent 10-1 thrashing of Crewe Alexandra. Ryan Oné bagged a hat-trick, Louie Marsh, Jevan Beattie and Owen Hampson got a brace each, and versatile defender Evan Easton was the other name on the scoresheet.

The Blades are proving to be too good for their U21 league once again, having finished first in the North Group four times in a row. But, Sheffield United have ambitions to elevate their academy to category one status, a designation reserved for elite academies with top-notch facilities.

Wilder envisions this upgrade as essential for player development and believes it would further raise the level of opposition so the U21’s can test themselves. “The ambition to be a Cat One football club should be foremost in the minds of those who decide that,” he explained, referencing improvements in training facilities and partnerships that are already underway to support this goal, such as purchasing the land to the HSBC Sports and Social Club in Dore.