'The king is dead; long live the king' - How Sheffield United fans reacted to Aaron Ramsdale's arrival at Bramall Lane

Goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale signs for Sheffield United and is welcomed by manager Chris Wilder at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Simon Bellis/Sportimage

The news came just hours after Dean Henderson posted a heartfelt message on social media, thanking former Blades team mates, coaching staff and fans as the goalkeeper, who had spent two years at Bramall Lane, returned to Manchester United where he is expected to sign a new, improved long-term deal.

United have forked out a sizable sum – described as a ‘substantial undisclosed fee’ – to bring Ramsdale back to Sheffield, three-and-a-half years after selling the 22-year-old to Bournemouth for a little under £1 million.

After a breakthrough season that, despite his excellent performances led to relegation, Ramsdale will retain his top flight status and the chance to continue his rise as one of England’s top young talents between the sticks.

The move certainly went down well with the United faithfull, who on social media appeared delighted by the new arrival.

The moment new signing Aaron Ramsdale proved his heart had never really left She...

@AdamBaguley wrote: “Rambo has got big boots to fill for sure but we finally have our own long term keeper. We got to all get behind him. Feeling positive about this one.”

And @GREGHampson described the move as ‘class’: “Absolutely buzzing we've got Ramsdale. Class signing. The perfect fit for us going forward. Love it”

@JasonCrooks1 admitted it was nice to have a keeper of their own: “Once a Blade always a blade..Welcome back.. Finally we've got our own No1”

And reacting to Henderson’s departure as well as the new boy’s return, @Blades7150 posted: “The king is dead; long live the king.”

There were some pragmatic responses, with a couple warning it’s not always going to be rosy.

@CallumHobson__ posted: “Just hope people don't judge Ramsdale because of what Deano has done for us.. Like he said he is a completely different keeper. Ramsdale is our keeper to stay and we should give him 100% backing every week like we did Deano.”

And @Berkshireblade added: “Bournemouth fans seem to rate him as a England future player. Don't think he's the finished goalkeeper yet but he's very young for a keeper. Henderson wasn't perfect and made mistakes from time to time. We can't pretend he was infallible when Ramsdale makes a error.”