Skipper identifies why Sheffield United is such a "special" football club

Billy Sharp has told supporters the bond they share with the players makes Sheffield United a “very special club.”
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The 34-year-old also identified George Baldock, who is poised to win international honours with Greece following a series of impressive displays at Premier League level, as the squad member who has embraced “being a Blade” the most after arriving from MK Dons.

“I think that’s something special about this club,” Sharp, United’s captain and centre-forward, said. “The bond you get with the fans.

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“All the players at the club, including the foreign boys who have just come in, really connect quickly and adapt to being a United player which I think is really important.”

Sander Berge, who became the most expensive signing in United’s history when he joined from Genk two months ago, has spoken about how his new team mates have rallied around Panos Retsos, Richairo Zivkovic and himself after Chris Wilder’s side were forced to train in isolation at home because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking at the beginning of the lockdown, defender Chris Basham explained how Sharp has been instrumental in setting up a support network for the new arrivals, who have been left stranded overseas away from their friends, families and loved ones, by measures introduced to try and limit the spread of the respiratory disease.

Speaking during a question and answer session with supporters on the club’s social media channel, Sharp named Baldock when asked to name which of his colleagues best represents the culture Wilder has created behind the scenes.

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Now in his third season with United, Baldock has produced a series of commanding performances during their climb to seventh in the table before the fixture calendar was suspended.

Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp says Sheffield United is a "special" football club: Richard Heathcote/Getty ImagesSheffield United captain Billy Sharp says Sheffield United is a "special" football club: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp says Sheffield United is a "special" football club: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“Dean Henderson is a close second,” Sharp said. “We all know the bond he’s got with the fans and what he does but he’s on loan (from Manchester United) so he’s not actually ours.

“George has committed himself to Sheffield, bought a property in Sheffield and is the ultimate professional. He loves being a Blade and playing for Sheffield United.”

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Sheffield United's players, including George Baldock, celebrate a goal: LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty ImagesSheffield United's players, including George Baldock, celebrate a goal: LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images
Sheffield United's players, including George Baldock, celebrate a goal: LINDSEY PARNABY/AFP via Getty Images

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