Sheffield United villain back in work after unemployed spell with Blades fans still bitter over hero's injury

It’s been 27 years since Gareth Ainsworth’s cowardly tackle ended the career of Sheffield United hero Dane Whitehouse but Blades fans have not forgotten. The then-Port Vale man made himself public enemy No.1 at Bramall Lane with the poor challenge at Vale Park, with Whitehouse revealing that he had not heard from Ainsworth in the aftermath.

A recent invitation from the Under the Cosh podcast, for viewers to send in their questions for Ainsworth, elicited a predictable response from Unitedites who have not forgiven him for the Whitehouse challenge in the years since and Ainsworth, now 51, is sure of a warm reception if he ever returns to Bramall Lane in his future career.

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There were few tears shed in South Yorkshire when Ainsworth was sacked as QPR manager last year after a poor spell of form and he has remained unemployed in football management ever since - until today, when he was unveiled as the new manager of Shrewsbury Town, bottom of the League One table.

“From the moment we started the recruitment process, Gareth and Richard were our number one targets," said Town's director of football Micky Moore. "It is a massive coup for Shrewsbury Town to have them here. I’ve known Gareth for a long time. He was the stand-out candidate. And he is someone I have always admired for the outstanding work he did at Wycombe.

“He brings to this football club an enthusiasm and a wealth of knowledge having managed more than 150 games in League One. He is exactly what we need. I’m sure, in time, we will be able to build a football club that will really make the town and our supporters proud.”

While Ainsworth resumes his career in football Whitehouse now watches his boyhood club from the Bramall Lane terraces and works part-time in a steelworks, having also dabbled in other careers including courier delivery following the premature end of a career that many believe was still to approach its peak before it was tragically cut short on that fateful night in Staffordshire.