Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie is likened to a Bramall Lane legend

Chris Wilder isn’t a manager prone to praising players lightly.
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He believes honesty, absolutely brutal and sometimes barbarous honesty, is always the best policy.

So when the Sheffield United manager likened Oli McBurnie’s latest performance for the club to those produced by a genuine Bramall Lane legend, you knew he wasn’t simply massaging the centre-foward’s ego or trying to curry favour in the dressing room after criticising displays before Thursday’s 3-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur.

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“I played with Brian Deane and his performances were brilliant,” Wilder, who worked alongside the striker for United in the late Eighties and early Nineties, said. “I’m not going to put pressure on Olly, but that was a proper number nine performance from Olly.

“Big Bri was brilliant for Sheffield United, right the way through that period. And Olly was right up there, for me, against Spurs.”

McBurnie, a summer signing from Swansea City, scored his fifth goal of the season during the meeting with Jose Mourimho’s side. But it was the Scotland international’s all-round display, rather than the finish, which captured Wilder’s imagination.

McBurnie’s challenge now is to replicate it when United return to Premier League action at Burnley on Sunday - with injuries meaning Wilder is unlikely to make too many changes to his starting eleven for the trip to Turf Moor. Indeed, with John Fleck, Leon Clarke, Luke Freeman and John Lundstram joining Jack O’Connell in the treatment room, United could once again name a short-handed bench after only selecting seven of their permitted nine substitutes against Spurs.

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“Oli worked his socks off, his hold up play was exceptional and then he got his reward at the end,” Wilder said. “Pound for pound, I thought that was his best performance in a Sheffield United shirt and it arguably deserved more than one goal - particularly when you bear in mind the quality of the players he was having a real battle with.”

David McGoldrick of Sheffield Utd (L) celebrates after scoring with team mates John Egan of Sheffield Utd and Oli McBurnie of Sheffield Utd during the FA Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture date: 28th June 2020. Picture credit should read: Andrew Yates/SportimageDavid McGoldrick of Sheffield Utd (L) celebrates after scoring with team mates John Egan of Sheffield Utd and Oli McBurnie of Sheffield Utd during the FA Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture date: 28th June 2020. Picture credit should read: Andrew Yates/Sportimage
David McGoldrick of Sheffield Utd (L) celebrates after scoring with team mates John Egan of Sheffield Utd and Oli McBurnie of Sheffield Utd during the FA Cup match at Bramall Lane, Sheffield. Picture date: 28th June 2020. Picture credit should read: Andrew Yates/Sportimage

“The trick is now, to build on that and keep showing it,” Wilder added. “The same goes for all of the other lads as well, because we don’t want to stand still.”

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