Sheffield United's promotion push set to benefit from France experience
Sheffield United defender John Egan insists he will be better equipped to help the club reach the Premier League after representing the Republic of Ireland against World Cup finalists France.
Paul Heckingbottom’s team returns to Championship action with a visit to Norwich City this weekend, entering the international break second in the table and three points clear of third placed Middlesbrough having played one game less than their rivals from Teesside.
The match at Carrow Road kicks-off five days after Egan and his fellow countrymen faced Didier Deschamps’ men in Dublin, producing a spirited performance before succumbing to Benjamin Pavard’s second-half strike.
With Heckingbottom expected to include Egan in his starting eleven for the meeting with David Wagner’s side, the centre-half said: “Every time you play, you learn something. When you come against players of this quality, how can it not help you to improve? You always want to test yourself against the best, that’s what it’s all about.”
Egan and his compatriots were unfortunate not to take a point from the European Championship qualifier in Dublin, with Ireland chief Stephen Kenny later admitting he had “never seen” Kylian Mbappe kept so quiet. Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann also featured for France.
“Experiencing different styles, different ways of doing things, it always makes you a better player,” Egan added before the contest. “Then, and all of the boys who go away will tell you this, you can bring those back here with you and put that knowledge to good use. That’s got to be the aim, and it is. That’s what you always look to do.”
