Sheffield United starboy reflects on breakthrough season after international call-up opens door to World Cup dream
Sheffield United starboy reflects on breakthrough season after international call-up opens door to World Cup dream
Sheffield United’s season looks like it may well simply peter out but in years to come, it could be one that Andre Brooks looks back on with real fondness The Shirecliffe academy graduate has had extensive first-team experience before but this is his first campaign as a first-choice regular.
Brooks has held off challenges from Chieo Ogbene and Tahith Chong to nail his place on the right for United, and it looks to have spurred him on to new heights. His goal in Saturday’s disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Wrexham was his sixth of the season so far.
Although it ultimately counted for little in the grand scheme of the game, with goals from Josh Windass and Sam Smith effectively ending United’s faint hopes of a play-off place, it was the perfect way for Brooks to mark his first senior international call-up.
Confirmation came earlier this week that Brooks had been summoned to join the Jamaica squad for their FIFA Intercontinental play-off clash with New Caledonia next week. If Jamaica win that game they will then face DR Congo for a place at this summer’s World Cup finals.
That would cap a remarkable recent rise for the Sheffield-born boyhood Blade, who has a Jamaican passport and had been in the process of declaring his international allegiance to Jamaica for some time now.
Sheffield United starboy reflects on breakthrough season after international call-up opens door to World Cup dream
“I found out a couple of weeks ago actually,” Brooks said. “But obviously the official squad came out yesterday and my name was on it, so I was pleased about that. I'm 100 per cent proud. My family will be proud of me as well, like my nan and grandad, they'll be proud. So I'm happy.
“I’ve not had too much time to celebrate with them, because obviously I've had a lot of games recently. So I've just been focusing on getting some points on the board for the club. But I've come a long way, to be fair.
“Obviously I wasn't in the team as much as I would have liked last season, but I'm in the team this season and I'm providing goals and assists and helping the team win. I just think that run of games, for me, is what I need.
“And obviously the consistency is coming with that. I'm providing goals and assists and I couldn't be happier. The season's not over, so we just need to do as well as we can until the end of the season and hopefully we can achieve what we need to achieve.”