Sheffield United defender's tribute to Jack O'Connell as pal continues fitness battle

The defender has undergone two operations on his injured knee in a bid to correct the issue that has kept him out since September 2020’s defeat at Aston Villa.

Without the former Brentford man’s qualities, both defensively and in attack, United have struggled badly and were relegated last season from the Premier League while, on a personal level, O’Connell’s chances of earning what would have been a well-deserved England call-up were damaged.

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The 28-year-old has been working hard on his rehab, both at United’s Shirecliffe training base and abroad when he is granted leave of absence.

Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom reiterated recently that he will not publicly put a timescale on O’Connell’s return, but the contract extension he signed back in 2019 is set to expire next summer.

Many of the new deals signed around that time contained options in United’s favour, but for now O’Connell and Blades supporters alike are focusing on his battle for fitness.

“Jack’s been out for a long time now and he was such a big part of what we did,” John Egan, who followed O’Connell’s path from Brentford to Bramall Lane and enjoyed such a solid partnership with his fellow centre-half before his injury, told The Star.

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“He’s a brilliant professional, a brilliant player and a brilliant man as well. And he’s been a huge loss for the club over a couple of seasons. It's been really hard for him but he comes in and does his rehab and stays really mentally strong, which says a lot about the man and his character.

“That he can still come in with a smile on his face, do his work and do his best to try and get back fit.”

O’Connell was frequently recognised by teammates and United staff alike as the club’s best trainer, with players vying to be on his team in small-sided games to avoid risking the wrath of his full-blooded challenges if the ball was there to be won.

He is currently working away in the gym at Shirecliffe, rather than concentrating on work with the ball, in a bid to further strengthen his knee.

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“It's hard because Jack was a brilliant trainer,” Egan added.

“He’d always be 100 per cent in training and that drove on the rest of the lads around him too. He’s a huge loss off the pitch as well. He's a big character in the dressing room and he's been a huge loss over the last few years.

“But he’s definitely still a part of things here, as far as the lads are concerned. He’s been here two years before me, so a long time now and has build up strong relationships with lads in the dressing room.

“We all get on great, so it's good to see him come in with the same desire and he's the same character as he was when he was playing. It's good that he can show how mentally strong he is, to keep battling back.”

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