Sheffield United midfielder makes a surprising admission about pressure

Relegated from the top-flight last term, Paul Heckingbottom’s side enter tonight’s game against Queens Park Rangers ranked sixth in the Championship and two points ahead of seventh-placed Middlesbrough.

With only two assignments remaining on their regular season schedule, United know a win over their rivals from west London would see them take a huge step towards qualifying for the play-offs ahead of Fulham’s visit to Bramall Lane next weekend.

Although Norwood admitted the stakes are high, he said: “There’s no pressure on us. It’s in our own hands and that’s how you want it.

“These are the situations you become a footballer for. You don’t grow up as a kid dreaming of being in mid-table and simply playing out a season. You dream of things like promotion and stuff like that.

“So we want to be in exactly these types of scenarios. Other people might want to talk about pressure and this and that. We just embrace it because it’s what we work hard for.”

Norwood, a member of United’s 2019 promotion winning squad, scored the only goal of the contest when Rangers travelled to South Yorkshire earlier this month.

“I don’t think they expected me to shoot because I don’t usually get so far up the pitch,” he continued. “It was a good game. A tough game and that’s what we’re expecting again. I should score more than I do so that’s something I’ll be looking to try and rectify.”

Heckingbottom, who is attempting to ensure talk of a potential takeover by American businessman Henry Mauriss does not cause a distraction at a critical phase of the campaign, warned during his latest media briefing on Thursday that he expects the race for the top six to “go right down to the wire.”

Echoing that sentiment, Norwood said: “This league can be crazy at times. Look at Bournemouth the other night; three goals down and they come back late to get a draw. We’ve got to make sure we’re ready for anything.”

MORE: https://www.thestar.co.uk/sport/football/sheffield-united/sheffield-united-serial-promotion-winner-says-the-blades-have-got-what-it-takes-to-reach-the-premier-league-3673024