Sheffield United: The new skill that can make Rhian Brewster even more dangerous
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The £23.5m signing from Liverpool, the most expensive ever purchase in United’s history, was responsible for winning the penalty which should have seen Heckingbottom’s team extend their winning margin over Millwall on Saturday afternoon.
Although Oliver Norwood missed the spot-kick, after Iliman Ndiaye and Sander Berge had put the hosts firmly in control of the fixture, Heckingbottom was still encouraged by the trickery which saw Brewster lull Jake Cooper into making a rash challenge.
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Hide Ad“Rhian can draw a foul,” Heckingbottom said. “He does have that gift to be able to wriggle in the box.”
Brewster’s primary responsibility is to convert chances, something he was beginning to do with increasing regularity before damaging a hamstring in January. Now recovered, after missing the final four months of the previous campaign, the 22-year-old impressed during United’s warm-up programme and started the meeting with Gary Rowett’s side. Although he was presented with no clear cut opportunities himself, Brewster still impacted the contest with the run that confused Cooper during the closing stages of the first-half.
“It was good to see him out there again, in front of fans,” Heckingbottom continued. “He’s getting fitter and fitter all the time.”
Only seven teams in the Championship were awarded fewer spot-kicks than United last term, including fellow play-off qualifiers Huddersfield Town. That, after canvassing Norwood’s opinion on whether he wants to continue taking them in Billy Sharp’s absence, will be something Heckingbottom hopes to address in order to boost their promotion prospects. Brewster, who could be rested for Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie at West Bromwich Albion to help him prepare to face Middlesbrough 72 hours later, can aid that process.
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Hide Ad"We know where he’s at and we're bringing him back the right way,” added Heckingbottom, after omitting Brewster from the eleven which opened the campaign at Watford. “It will have done Rhian the world of good to be in that type of situation again.”