Sheffield United swoop for Portsmouth freebie was a masterstroke - Chris Wilder connections paid off | OneFootball

Chris Wilder's reunion with his former player Enda Stevens at Sheffield United proved to be a big success.

Sheffield United will be hoping to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt this season, and manager Chris Wilder could be on course to achieve his third promotion with the club.

Wilder returned to Bramall Lane for a second spell in charge in December 2023, and while he was unable to prevent United's relegation from the top flight last season, he has built a squad that has an excellent chance of achieving promotion this term.

After the nightmare campaign the Blades experienced last season, few expected Wilder to turn the club's fortunes around so quickly, but given the miracles the 57-year-old performed in his first stint, it perhaps should not be too much of a surprise.

The current squad could be set to write their names into United's history books over the coming months, but they still have more work to do if they are to match the legacy of those who were part of the team that won promotion from the Championship and went on to achieve a ninth-placed finish in the Premier League under Wilder.

One player who played a crucial role in that success was Enda Stevens, and Wilder used his previous connection with the defender to help bring him to Bramall Lane on a free transfer in the summer of 2017.

Enda Stevens, Northampton Town move led to future Sheffield United bargain

After making the move from his native Ireland, Stevens came through the academy at Premier League side Aston Villa, and he made nine senior appearances for the club in the 2012-13 season, providing one assist during that time.

However, Stevens failed to build on his first-team breakthrough at Villa Park, and after spells out on loan at Notts County and Doncaster Rovers in the 2013-14 campaign, he joined Northampton Town on a temporary basis in October 2014.

The switch saw Stevens link up with Wilder, who was clearly delighted to welcome the defender to Sixfields, stating that "you don't sign for a club like Villa unless you've got something about you".

Given that Stevens had represented Doncaster in the Championship the previous season, his signing looked like something of a coup for a Northampton side struggling towards the bottom of League Two, and just as Wilder promised, he was thrown straight into the team.

Unfortunately, the Cobblers lost all four games that Stevens featured in during his one-month loan spell, but he did score his first senior goal in a 3-1 defeat at Oxford United, as well as registering an assist in the 3-2 loss at Cheltenham Town.

Wilder decided against extending Stevens' time at Northampton, and reflecting on that decision, he said that while the Irishman's "undoubted quality and ability" stood out, he felt that he was playing in "second gear" and was "afraid to let loose".

Stevens then returned to Doncaster in League One for the rest of the 2014-15 season before joining Portsmouth on a free transfer in the summer following his release by Villa, and his performances at Fratton Park would again catch the eye of Wilder.

Sheffield United struck gold with Enda Stevens, Portsmouth deal

It seems as though Wilder's words of wisdom paid off as Stevens starred at Portsmouth, and he won the club's Player of the Season award and was named in the EFL Team of the Season after scoring one goal and providing 10 assists in 46 games to help the South Coast outfit to promotion from League Two in the 2016-17 campaign.

Stevens would likely have had no shortage of interest in the summer of 2017, but Wilder moved quickly to bring him to Bramall Lane on a free transfer, and it is fair to say it was a masterstroke from the Blades boss.

The 34-year-old immediately established himself in the United defence, and he excelled at left wing-back as part of Wilder's innovative 3-5-2 system that would earn him plenty of plaudits over the subsequent years.

The Blades finished in a respectable 10th place in the Championship in Stevens' first season at the club, but he took his form to another level the following year, scoring four goals and registering seven assists in 45 appearances as Wilder's men finished second behind champions Norwich City, earning promotion back to the Premier League following a 12-year absence.

In addition to his success at club level, Stevens also became a regular fixture in the Republic of Ireland team at international level, and he seamlessly adapted to life in the top flight, playing a key role as United achieved a remarkable ninth-placed finish in their first season back in the division, despite being widely tipped for relegation at the start of the campaign.

Stevens was deservedly handed a new three-year deal in March 2020, but he and his team-mates could not build on their initial Premier League success, and they were relegated in the 2020-21 season after finishing bottom of the table with just 23 points.

That marked the start of the end of Stevens' time at Bramall Lane as his game time became increasingly limited over the next two years, and he made just 14 appearances in the 2022-23 campaign as the Blades won another promotion to the Premier League under Paul Heckingbottom, so it was little surprise when he was released at the end of his contract.

Stevens, who now plays for Stoke City in the Championship, may have been disappointed by his latter years in South Yorkshire, but he will always be remembered fondly by United supporters, and he will certainly go down as one of the club's biggest ever bargains.