'Model professional' - Sheffield United star hails in-form striker and "fantastic" partner

George Baldock, the Sheffield United wing-back, has heaped praise on Bramall Lane teammates Iliman Ndiaye and Oli McBurnie, describing them as "a fantastic pro" and "a model professional" after getting on the scoresheet again during Saturday's 5-2 hammering of Burnley.

Both forwards reached the nine-goal mark for the season against Vincent Kompany's side, Ndiaye boosting his World Cup hopes with a close-range finish to make it 1-1 before McBurnie's brace first dragged United level again at 2-2, before capping a remarkable afternoon with the fifth.

The pair also combined last weekend at West Brom to seal a 2-0 win before Ndiaye's winner in midweek at Bristol City. And Baldock admitted: "It makes our lives a lot easier. Sometimes with Iliman, I'm standing on the pitch admiring him. I'm running out of words to describe the lad.

"He's a fantastic pro and one of the hardest workers I've come across. Such a down to earth lad. And Oli is such a popular lad, everyone stood by him and I think he deserves great credit. The attitude he's shown this year, hitting the gym all the time ... he's been a model professional and the results are showing.

"He looks like he's going to score every week and that's the sign of a great striker. But not just that though, we've got other strikers. Billy [Sharp] is the top goalscorer in the Championship, Reda [Khadra] didn't get on today. We've got an abundance of attacking flair and it makes our lives a lot easier."

Oli McBurnie and Iliman Ndiaye are developing a superb attacking partnership for Sheffield United: Andrew Yates / Sportimageplaceholder image
Oli McBurnie and Iliman Ndiaye are developing a superb attacking partnership for Sheffield United: Andrew Yates / Sportimage
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