Sheffield United told they will be a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League
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The centre-forward, whose goals helped fire Paul Heckingbottom’s side towards promotion last term, has cited team spirit, previous top flight experience and the Bramall Lane crowd as factors behind his prediction as preparations for the new campaign begin in earnest.
McBurnie was a member of the United team which mounted a challenge for Europe three years ago under Heckingbottom’s predecessor Chris Wilder, before the Covid-19 pandemic derailed their push for a top six finish.
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One of 12 players who were a part of that squad still remaining at Bramall Lane, as club officials apply the finishing touches to their retained and released list, McBurnie told The Star: “I’m sure we can go up there and cause people more than a few problems. There’s lots of fellas here who have done that before and who have shown they can perform at this level.
“Seriously, I’ve never known a group or a dressing room like this either. It’s so tight, so close knit, and everyone is ready to fight for everyone else. There isn’t one person in there who isn’t, and you can’t always say that’s the case everywhere else because it isn’t. I know it isn’t.”
“Then, there’s the fans here,” he continued. “Trust me, they make such a difference. Everyone saw what happened when we had them behind us when we went up that last time. Everyone saw what a tough place this was to come and that lots (of opponents) didn’t like it. When we lost that and went into empty grounds because of everything that was going on at the time, it definitely made a difference for us at least. I think some teams benefited from it, but not us."
Heckingbottom has also placed United’s followers at the heart of the masterplan he hopes will help them establish a foothold at the highest level. McBurnie, who netted 15 goals as United climbed out of the Championship, is scheduled to become a free agent shortly. But his comments appear to confirm that his deal will be among those which are extended, as Heckingbottom attempts to keep the core of his group together.