Sheffield United struck gold with Brighton deal - it gave Bramall Lane faithful a baller to worship | OneFootball

Sheffield United inherited a gem when signing Oliver Norwood from Brighton in 2018

After a year back in the second tier, Sheffield United entered the 2018/19 Championship campaign with one clear goal in mind – to do their all to achieve promotion to the Premier League.

As Chris Wilder compiled a team that he trusted to lead into battle, one man was singled out, scouted and eventually secure - that man was Oliver Norwood, who moved to Bramall Lane from top-flight side Brighton on an initial loan deal in 2018.

Norwood had played a key role in the Seagulls' promotion to the Premier League a year prior, featuring 33 times in the Championship under Chris Hughton.

Despite that, the midfielder never featured for Brighton in the first-tier and was instead loaned to Fulham for the 2017/18 season.

Norwood’s expertise helped the Cottagers achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking – but he was still longing for his first experience in the top flight...that would eventually come however with the Blades.

Oli Norwood and Sheffield United were a match made in heaven

Although his time in Sheffield was incredibly successful on the whole, life with the Blades didn’t start out in the best of circumstances for Norwood.

He was the only player to miss a penalty in the side’s shootout defeat to Hull City in the EFL Cup only a day after signing in 2018, making for a nightmare start in his new surroundings.

However, he quickly put this behind him to play an instrumental role in Sheffield United’s promotion to the Premier League, marking the first time since 2007 that the club had featured in the nation’s first division.

His original loan deal was soon made permanent in January 2019, giving Norwood the deserved chance to prove his metal in the top-flight.

The Northern Ireland international played a key role as the Blades remarkably challenged for the European places during the 2019/20 campaign, eventually finishing ninth. The following season didn’t prove to be so kind, as the club were relegated back to the Championship in devastating fashion, but Norwood got his two seasons in the top flight, and he proved to be effective in the first year at least.

Oli Norwood earning promotion again with Sheffield United sealed his legacy at Bramall Lane

Determined not to see the Blades resigned to second-tier football once again, Norwood spearheaded the effort to see the club reclaim their Premier League status.

Defeat to Nottingham Forest in the 2022 play-off semi-finals delayed the side’s progress, but automatic promotion under Paul Heckingbottom the following year saw the midfielder return for another crack at the top-flight.

Norwood was heavily relied upon under Heckingbottom, starting 12 of Sheffield United’s first 15 Premier League games and taking the captain's armband in six of those. However, once the Blades’ former boss was dismissed in December 2023, minutes became a lot harder to find for the fan favourite.

Back under Wilder, he started just four more times all season, barely able to help the club’s - ultimately futile - fight against relegation.

From there, his days at Bramall Lane were numbered and he departed the club for Stockport County in the summer of 2024 following a stellar stint in the Steel City, and he has performed for the Hatters with class down in League One.

"The best six years of my career were definitely at Sheffield United,” Norwood told Sky Sports back in October.

“I loved every minute of being there. The messages since leaving from the supporters have been amazing. When you leave, you want to be spoken about really well and I've got that."

Although Norwood’s era at Sheffield United may be over, the midfielder left a legacy at the club to be envied by many.

After arriving from Brighton in 2018 on a loan deal, bitterly disappointed to be missing out on Premier League football, few would’ve predicted the immense impact he would have at Bramall Lane, with his spell sure to live long in the memory of the Blades’ faithful.