Sheffield United hero Jan Aage Fjortoft sends Sander Berge message amid Brian Deane 'Black Thursday' comparison

News filtering through that Sander Berge is seemingly on the brink of a Bramall Lane exit is not quite on the same level as ‘Black Thursday’, when the Blades sold both Jan Aage Fjortoft and Brian Deane on the same day – but there are definitely similarities.

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United are 12 points clear of third-placed Middlesbrough in the race for the Premier League, with a game in hand on the Teessiders, but their perilous financial position necessitates the hawking of Berge to clubs higher up the food chain. Top-flight sides Newcastle United, Fulham and Brighton and Hove Albion are interested, as are Italian giants Napoli.

Fjortoft knows all about Berge’s abilities, as a fellow Norwegian, and posted a cheeky reference to the sale of him and Deane all those years ago on his Twitter account, tagging Deane into a message that read: Please Sheffield United! Don’t sell Sander Berge on a Thursday!”

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The tweet brought back some painful memories for fans who were around to witness it, as the side that looked nailed on for a return to the Premier League fell apart after the sale of their two talismanic forwards. Boss Nigel Spackman resigned in protest and despite leaving halfway through the season, Deane finished it as United's top scorer - with 11 goals.