Inside the Sheffield United talent factory as "small details" reap big rewards for Blades' future

It’s almost two decades since Stephen Quinn first set foot in the Sheffield United finishing school but the lessons he learnt have stayed with him until this day. Quinn, still playing at 38 years old at Mansfield Town, arrived at United back in 2005 as a fresh-faced 19-year-old from St Patrick's Athletic in his native Dublin.

In doing so Quinn followed in the footsteps of his older brother Alan with another Quinn brother, Keith, also on the books at Bramall Lane at one stage. Quinn went on to play in the Premier League and an FA Cup final, shaped by the same principles and non-negotiables that have made the Shirecliffe talent factory the envy of many rival clubs.

The Blades’ good record in producing young players saw them finish the recent Sheffield derby victory win over Wednesday with three academy graduates on the pitch and another, skipper Oliver Arblaster, having started before making way through injury at half-time. United focus not just on producing good footballers but also good, well-rounded people - an approach Quinn believes has paid off.

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“The schooling I had at Sheffield United was tough love,” he told The Star, via EFL sponsors SkyBet. “You look at the names they've brought through – the likes of myself, Billy Sharp, Harry Maguire, Kyle Naughton, Kyle Walker – and it's not by accident they're producing these players. You have to run, work, grind, earn their respect and earn the right to be a footballer.

“It helped with life skills, not only football, so it stood me in such good stead for the career that I've had. I have a lot of respect for the club, I still see people there that I know to this day. I owe a lot to the club for giving me my breakthrough in the game, but also giving me that base to go on and have a good career because of the small details they've added to my game, and the mentality."

Stephen and Alan may have only lined up together in a United shirt on a few occasions but the elder brother - who joined United from Wednesday and later scored the winner for the Blades in a Steel City derby - was a vital role model for his younger sibling. "It was a great feeling, to play alongside him,” Quinn added. I looked up to Alan, who played for so many years, but I wanted to try and blaze my own trail in the football world.

“I didn't want to rely on him to get me where I needed to be. I got my head down and tried to form my own identity and my own style of play. It helped looking up to him and seeing how he formulated his career, but ultimately, I wanted to step out of his shadows and become the player I was." 

After his departure to Hull in 2012 Quinn returned to haunt United by scoring in the Tigers’ epic 5-3 victory over the Blades in the 2014 FA Cup semi-final, after coming off the bench. United were in League One at the time but twice took the lead against the then-Premier League side, who went on to lose to Arsenal in the final on their return to Wembley.

“I didn't celebrate scoring against Sheffield United,” Quinn reflected. “I lost my parents, so it was more I looked up at the heavens. It's what I once dreamt about when I was a young kid, scoring at Wembley. Unfortunately, it was against United, the club who treated me so well through my youth and gave me my chance in the game.

“It was just unlucky that it was against them, but they were brilliant on the day. It was a bittersweet moment, but for us to go on to an FA Cup Final ... you've got to put things aside and just get on with your job and do the best you can."