Sometimes in football, with all the will in the world and all the scouting data available to clubs, things just don’t go to plan. A player extensively watched can turn into a flop; someone who seemed tailor-made for a role at a club can, for whatever reason, simply not work out. Sheffield United have got a lot right in the transfer market of late but over their recent history have had their fair share of completely forgettable incomings as well.
But some went on to do remarkable things at other clubs, including winning the treble at Scottish giants Celtic and even winning European silverware. So we took a trip down memory lane to pull out 19 players you may have forgotten ever graced Bramall Lane. How many of these can you remember in a United shirt? And extra Blades bonus points if you saw all of them play!
13. Tommy Johnson
Formerly of Derby, Aston Villa and Celtic, where he won the treble in 2001, Johnson played one game for the Blades before moving on to Scunthorpe United Photo: Dean Atkins
14. Marcel Cas
The Dutchman joined United from Notts County and played six times before moving on to Grimsby Town Photo: ADY KERRY
15. Laurens Ten Heuvel
Another striker on the list, the Dutchman had prior experience of South Yorkshire from a spell at Barnsley – where he played in the Premiership - before he arrived at Bramall Lane. It didn’t make much difference though as he didn’t score in five appearances for the Blades Photo: Dean Atkins
16. Benoit Croissant
The defender joined United from Troyes but played only twice before moving to the excellently-named Stormvogels Telstar Photo: Stuart Hastings