Forgotten Sheffield United cult hero boosted Blades’ title bid by masterminding huge Leeds United moment

When the Swansea City team bus began its long journey back to South Wales after Saturday’s 96th-minute equaliser at Leeds United, one member of the travelling party may have had more reason to be delighted than most. The Swans twice hit back to draw 2-2 at Elland Road, with Žan Vipotnik finding a way past Islan Meslier after Willy Gnonto looked to have won the game for Leeds.

The result saw Leeds’ grasp on the Championship title loosened a little, Daniel Farke’s men dropping to second and leaving Sheffield United two points clear at the top of the table with just seven games of the regular season left to play. One figure enjoying the celebrations after Vipotnik’s dramatic intervention was former Blades defender Richard Stearman, who helped United win promotion to the top-flight in 2018/19.

The centre-half wrote himself into United folklore with his memorable celebrations after the Blades beat Leeds to claim a place in the Premier League that season. After leaving the Lane Stearman represented Huddersfield Town and Derby County before moving to Solihull Moors, where he moved into coaching before leaving last week to take up a position of assistant coach at Swansea.

The Elland Road game was his first at his new club and gave his old one a huge boost in their promotion push, although plenty more twists and turns are virtually guaranteed before the end of the campaign. Stearman still keeps a close eye on events at his former clubs, also including Wolves, and has agreed to pull on the Blades shirt one more time in Chris Basham’s charity game next month, should his Swans commitments allow.

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Stearman and former Huddersfield boss Mark Fotheringham were brought to South Wales by former caretaker manager Alan Sheehan, who was confirmed as the Swans’ boss until the end of the season last week after succeeding Luke Williams on an initial temporary basis. "Richard's someone I've done my 'A' and 'B' licences with,” Sheehan said. “I've known him a long time. He's someone I trust.

"He is someone who's been promoted out of this league twice. So he knows the exact feelings everyone's going through as well as the detail that's required. To have them two guys with me here ... I think it's a wonderful opportunity for us to move forward.

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“I am incredibly happy with the desire they showed to come here, and I am grateful to the club for bringing the guys in. We have eight games left, I am happy to have the opportunity to manage this football club for those eight games, to keep the club in the league and then we can reassess at the end of the season.”

Stearman hung up his boots last summer and moved into coaching with Solihull Moors, who confirmed his departure with a tribute from director of football Stephen Ward. "Stears has been an outstanding servant to the club, both as a player and as a coach,” he said.

“His experience, professionalism, and love for the game have been evident in everything he has done at Solihull Moors. While we are sad to see him go, we are incredibly proud of his progression and wish him nothing but success in this new role."