Sheffield United man's performance at Man Utd hailed as 'one of the best' in the Premier League this season

Sheffield United’s veteran defender Phil Jagielka has been lauded for producing one of the Premier League’s performances of the season in his side’s shock win over Manchester United in midweek.
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The 38-year-old was handed a rare start at Old Trafford by Blades boss Chris Wilder due to John Egan’s suspension.

And Jagielka rolled back the years with a majestic performance to marshal United’s defence and blunt a much-heralded Red Devils strike-force.

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Ironically, the former Everton and England man’s previous outing in a Blades shirt came as a substitute in the 3-2 defeat against Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s men last month when he endured a difficult night against Marcus Rashford.

But on Wednesday evening it was a different story as he was named man of the match by BT Sport pundit Chris Sutton, with his performance earning rave reviews from a number of observers within the game.

Now talkSPORT presenter Tony Cascarino has added his voice to the glowing praise for Jagielka by revealing it was one of the best displays he had seen this season.

“Jagielka . . . extraordinary performance for a 38-year-old. One of the best performances of the season. He really defended brilliantly,” said the former Chelsea striker, speaking on the station’s GameDay Breakfast show with Natalie Sawyer.

Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka celebrates at the final whistle after his side's 2-1 win at Manchester United on Wednesday night. Photo: Simon Bellis/Sportimage.Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka celebrates at the final whistle after his side's 2-1 win at Manchester United on Wednesday night. Photo: Simon Bellis/Sportimage.
Sheffield United's Phil Jagielka celebrates at the final whistle after his side's 2-1 win at Manchester United on Wednesday night. Photo: Simon Bellis/Sportimage.
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Jagielka revealed after the game on Wednesday that it could be the last time he steps foot on the famous Old Trafford turf as a player.

He said: “It could obviously be the last time that I do play on this pitch. These opportunities don’t come round too often.”

However, Jagielka, who turns 39 later this year, could be offered the chance to continue working at Bramall Lane even if he chooses to announce his retirement at the end of the season.

“I’d definitely like to keep that knowledge,” said Wilder. “There’s no downside to having that, because of the personality Jags has got."

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