Daniel Jebbison’s Sheffield United fan message after breaking silence on controversial Bramall Lane transfer decision
Daniel Jebbison’s Sheffield United fan message after breaking silence on controversial Bramall Lane transfer decision
Daniel Jebbison insists he has “all love” for Sheffield United despite the acrimonious way his time at Bramall Lane came to an end last summer. The Canadian striker came back to haunt his former club with the winner for Preston North End on Friday night.
It was particularly poetic for the 22-year-old, who was booed by sections of the travelling support and later targeted with chants asking him about the scoreline when the Blades were 2-0 ahead.
That came back to bite when Preston hit back to level at 2-2, before Jebbison rose unmarked in the United box to head the winner past Michael Cooper. It was only the second time the striker had come face-to-face with United since his decision to walk away, despite boss Chris Wilder reporting several times that he wanted to stay at Bramall Lane.
United did bank compensation of around £1.5m from Bournemouth because of Jebbison’s age but that does not represent the true potential of a player who has set his sights on next year’s World Cup with his native Canada, after being reunited with his former Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom at Deepdale for the season.
Daniel Jebbison’s Sheffield United fan message after breaking silence on controversial Bramall Lane transfer decision
Asked by The Star to clarify his reasons for moving on, with many Blades fans clearly not having forgiven or forgotten, Jebbison said: “I just think that it was time to move on, really. I’d been there for quite some time, since I was a kid, and I was getting recognition elsewhere.
“There were good opportunities elsewhere, almost like when you guys leave your job sort of thing. It was just time to move on, really. But naturally, when you leave in the way I did, you get some stick.
“I know that people might criticise me but I hope Sheffield [United] know that it’s all love, really, from my side of things, and I hope they don’t take it too personally still to this day. I'm sure the staff understand that. So, yeah, it's all love from me.”
Jebbison’s first reunion with the Blades after moving on came in the colours of Watford, with the striker becoming embroiled in a on-field melee with Harry Souttar which saw both sides charged by the FA, and his second was no more eventful as United’s hopes of a third win in six days went up in smoke despite a blistering start.
“That’s football,” he said of his reception from the away fans. “I was expecting it. I have a lot of respect for that club. They brought me through [in] my development, so it's nothing personal to me. I love the fans still, even though they say stuff like that. It's okay. It comes with the territory, with football, and I'm happy.”