The forgotten ex-Sheffield United man eyeing Rotherham United takeover after Bramall Lane scouting mission
Hardy Sheffield United supporters who remember the eventful Neil Warnock era may recognise the name of one member of the consortium considering a takeover bid for Rotherham United
A forgotten Sheffield United player who signed for the Blades twice more than two decades ago is part of the consortium interested in buying the Blades’ neighbours Rotherham United. The group has been unmasked as the Bridge Football Group.
The revelation came via our sister newspaper, the Rotherham Advertiser, with the added intrigue of a Blades link from thousands of miles away bridging the short gap across the Parkway.
A three-man party from BFC visited the New York Stadium recently for talks with Millers chairman Tony Stewart and vice-chairman Richard Stewart before a 1-1 League One draw with Reading.
And part of the consortium is technical advisor Dries Boussatta, who had a spell on loan with United in 2002/03 and had actually signed for the Blades a few years earlier before injury scuppered his hopes of making a mark.
After signing again, he lasted less than five months before returning to the Netherlands where he advised then-Blades boss Neil Warnock on potental transfer opportunities. “He will still be able to help us as a football agent,” said Warnock at the time.
"He has extensive contacts with the major clubs such as Ajax and PSV, and a friendship with Ruud Gullit, who is at Feyenoord, so is well-placed to monitor what is going on over there. Having played for us and knowing what the English game is like, he can look for the type of player we would be interested in."
Boussatta also played for Ajax before moving to Bramall Lane and played for both Holland and Morocco at international level. The group manage three other clubs abroad, the Advertiser report, and are believed to be backed by money from the Far East.
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