Exclusive:Another Sheffield United player’s Bramall Lane future decided as Chris Wilder highlights unseen “impact”
Another experienced player is set to leave Sheffield United this summer, following another senior departure as Chris Wilder continues reshaping his squad.
Experienced striker Danny Ings will follow fellow veteran Ben Mee out of the Sheffield United exit door this summer, The Star understands, as part of the Blades’ big summer rebuild. The former England international signed a deal with United back in August, which ran until this summer.
Like Mee’s, the contract also contained an option for United to extend it should they so wish. Both were signed after the start of the season, following de-facto trial periods, but have played bit-part roles since, with Ings’ appearances largely coming off the bench.
There have been some bright moments, including a late winner against Hull City just moments after being introduced which ended a six-match winless run for United. He also nearly scored on what will be his final appearance in a red and white shirt at Derby County on Saturday, being denied by a smart Jacob Zetterström save in a 2-1 United win.
Mee confirmed his departure from United, which we revealed last week, on social media over the weekend, admitting he was “disappointed I wasn’t given the opportunity” to help out United more in the second half of the season.
“It’s not been the season any of us wanted,” Mee said, “but I’m grateful to have had the pleasure of playing for this great club in front of an incredible fan base and meeting all the brilliant people who make the club tick, players and staff alike.
“As I move onto the next chapter I will look back fondly on a number of moments over the course of my time with the club. Of course I would have loved to help the team out more in the second half of the season and [I’m] disappointed I wasn’t given the opportunity to do so, but that’s football. I wish everyone involved with the club the best for next season and beyond.”
Ings’ name is set to join that of Mee when the Blades publish their retained list soon. “It’s been done for quite a while,” admitted boss Chris Wilder ahead of the weekend win at Derby.
“I think you understand that. So that'll be made available. Tom Davies has obviously said his goodbyes. The loan signings are all going back. I've said already, regarding players that came to the football club [last summer] that maybe are not up to the standard of being in and around the top of the division where we'll be next year.
“We've had this conversation with the owners and Steve Bettis. In a way the backing that the manager received was incredible at the start of pre-season and obviously it didn't go to plan. So yeah, there'll be changes.
“There'll be boys going out. Some of the signings that were made last season, maybe the younger players, need to go out. The ones that have signed on AI and whatever will go out and gain some football experience.
So there’ll be changes on that. And really a slimming down of the group. I sometimes don't think that people really do understand the impact that a lot of players that won't or can't see themselves getting into the team and maybe are not part of it, but they're still around, has on the general mood that the team is in.
“So to tidy that up is really important and have that group of 24, 25 as we talked about in numbers, really pulling in the same direction.”