Anis Slimane did his homework on Sheffield United “values” before long-awaited transfer

Anis Slimane admitted he knew all about the "values" of Sheffield United after signing for the Premier League new-boys of late. The Tunisian international admitted he was waiting for the deal to go through "for a while" but made his long-awaited debut for the Blades in their friendly in Estoril last night.

Slimane commanded a cut-priced fee from Brondby earlier this month before joining his new teammates on their tour of Portugal. A number of Blades players have admitted being impressed with what they have seen so far of Slimane, with his handling of the ball raised a few times as a stand-out quality. There is undoubted quality, having represented his country at last winter's World Cup, but also a humility and character that suggests he will fit right in with United's existing group of players.

"It's been nice," Slimane said of United's training camp at the City of Football, which comes to an end on Saturday when Paul Heckingbottom's men return to England. "The weather has been nice and the training facilities are, too. I'm very happy to be here and a part of this team.

"I've been waiting for this time for a while. Finally I am here, so everything is good. The lads have been really good with me in the first week. I knew I was coming into a group of lads who were strong together. I also knew that it would be easy to fit in."

Slimane was identified as a transfer target earlier this year and was even shown around United's Shirecliffe training camp long before a deal was eventually struck. Understandably, with the deal in the pipeline for a while, Slimane kept a close eye on United's progress last season as they battled for promotion to the Premier League and believes that the club's values align with his own.

"I have been following United for a while now," the 22-year-old said. "I have been doing my research on the club and am still learning. It's a club with a lot of values. That's fantastic, and I am happy to be part of it."

The Star’s coverage of Sheffield United’s pre-season trip to Portugal is in association with Vertical Editions, a Sheffield-based company producing fine sporting books. Check out their range of Blades titles, including the new book Legends at the Lane, at www.verticaleditions.com