"Commitment, hard work and passion" - Sheffield United fans' player of 2020 sums up all those qualities and more

The words of Christopher Paul Basham, a man who embodies all that is good about the Blades more than most.

Basham's commitment, hard work and passion have never been in question ever since he stepped through the door at Bramall Lane all those years ago.

But there is no shortage of skill there, too, which has been evident as the Blades have stepped into the Premier League.

And it is that combination of qualities that has seen Basham win, by a landslide, The Star's fans' player of the calendar year award, as voted by Blades supporters in a Twitter poll.

Basham claimed a remarkable 70 per cent of the votes, with fans praising his all-action style whether deployed in defence or, increasingly often in recent weeks, in midfield.

The Blades are firmly in a relegation battle this season but Basham says: "There's no reason we can't get the job done".

"We're still in the Premier League. We all believe that we should be here,” the former Blackpool man added.

"Yes, it's going to be really tough and obviously the results and the points tally that we've got shows that it's going to be tough, so we just need to go into every game and be as positive as we can, individually and collectively as a team, and try and get a result.

"As soon as we go off that wagon of being strong and being together, I think that's when you start being worried."

Thank you for reading this article, one of dozens we publish every single day to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative coverage of YOUR club. This depth of Blades coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to from the football team at The Star, please consider taking out a subscription to our new discounted sports-only package. You'll find all the details HERE. Your support is much appreciated. Chris Holt, Football Editor