"BIg player" - Chris Wilder backing Sheffield United striker Rhian Brewster to recapture "best in world" form

Chris Wilder is backing Rhian Brewster to recapture the form that saw him earmarked as "one of the best young No.9s in the world" as a youngster and earned him the big-money Premier League chance with Sheffield United. Brewster moved from Liverpool for an initial £18.5m back in 2020 but his time at Bramall Lane has been severely hampered by injuries.

But the forward, still only 23 years old, caught the eye with a lively display on a rare start last weekend at Wolves and is now hoping for a positive final part of the season as he looks to kickstart his Blades career. Brewster was top scorer as England won the U17 World Cup back in 2017 under Steve Cooper and he was highly-rated enough to be a part of Liverpool's squad for the 2019 Champions League final win over Tottenham Hotspur.

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Wilder was in charge when United splashed out to bring Brewster to Bramall Lane and although the signing has not yet paid off as any party involved would have liked, the striker remains a popular figure at the Blades and could be set for an extended chance in the top-flight between now and the end of the season. "When you're playing that boy and you see what he's been through, he's been so unlucky," Wilder said.

"He's not had four or five games in the reserves or whatever, he's training and getting himself back. If there's one player in my time at Sheffield United that we want to do well, and myself personally, it's Rhian. Because of what he's had to go through and the narrative of him being criticised.

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"Does the boy want to sit on the treatment table? No. Does he want to come over from Manchester every morning at half seven in the morning and leave at five? No he doesn't. So for him to get himself out of that position and produce a performance on his first start for a long time is great. 

"Goalscoring is the hardest thing in the book. But he can finish, he's a player and we'll be delighted when he gets that first goal. And I'm sure when it does, then you'll just see him and grow and grow."

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Brewster has been restricted to just 30 league starts for the Blades since his 2020 move after a succession of ill-timed and unfortunate injury blows. "He came as a big player, a young boy at Liverpool without an injury record," Wilder added. "We went through the full report, medical and everything, but he was injured, reinjured, returned to action, reinjured. 

"He just hasn't been able to shake it off but he's there to play football and he wants to play football. He's had an incredible start to his career; he was one of the best No.9s in the world at 18 and 19. He wouldn't have been involved at Liverpool and won the World Cup otherwise. So for that to be taken away from him, through unfortunate injury, is tough.

"He wants to get back and play football. I think you saw his reaction when we played Luton and ran 50 yards, as a sub, to jump on the back of Vini Souza when he scored. It's a boy who cares and wants to make a contribution to the football club. So he's good for me."