Gus Hamer’s emotional Sheffield United “goodbye” moment addressed as Chris Wilder clarifies Blades’ transfer stance
Chris Wilder insisted Gus Hamer’s emotional interaction with Sheffield United supporters at Derby County was not a farewell, despite ongoing uncertainty over the forward’s future.
Gus Hamer’s moment with the travelling Sheffield United supporters, at full-time of their final-day win at Derby County, could certainly have been interpreted as a goodbye. The United forward was pushed towards the away end, who were belting out his name, by boss Chris Wilder.
Hamer then deservedly soaked up the applause from Unitedites who have enjoyed his efforts in a Blades shirt over the last three seasons, since he announced himself in fine style with a stunning strike on his Premier League debut at Nottingham Forest.
He couldn’t keep the Blades in the top-flight - looking back, not many players in world football would have - but he has, over the course of his United career, been a joy to watch. Even this season, in which he has fallen short of the standards he set last term, he has been United’s main creative outlet.
A haul of five goals and 11 assists helped United recover from their nightmare start to first secure Championship status, and then push up the table to eventually finish 13th with 60 points.
After coming within 15 minutes of the Premier League last term, it is an undisputed step backwards and what happens next, for both United and Hamer, will be fascinating to see. He enters the final 12 months of his deal in the summer and a concrete decision about his future is yet to be made by any party.
The love he felt from the away end here at Pride Park can surely only help United’s hopes of keeping him but it may take more than that. Hamer is 29 in the summer, preparing to enter the twilight of his varied playing career, and the picture of his future has long since been complicated by personal reasons that may necessitate a return to the Netherlands, where he grew up.
Domestically Leeds United have been long-term admirers while West Ham United have reportedly joined the queue ahead of a pivotal summer. But as things stand he is a United player, under contract for next season, and it will take a suitable offer from elsewhere to change that.
“No, it's not a goodbye,” Wilder said of the full-time scenes between Hamer and the away end. “I said to him when he came off: ‘If this is the last game, I thank you for his outstanding efforts.’ For me, I've worked with him for a year and a half and he's been outstanding.
“He was Championship player of the year last year. This season has been a real difficult season for Gus but gives us everything. And he's still got a year left of his contract. I know the position of the club.
“We don't like players running the contracts down and going into the last year, so we'll see what's what. If Gus is here with us next year, then we'll get him right and he'll be better than what he is this year. And if he goes, then hopefully it’s in a nice way, with the reception and the appreciation from our supporters.”