The rollocking responsible for making Sheffield United's Daniel Jebbison who is is today
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The teenage centre-forward had only just reported for duty at the club’s training complex after joining one of the most prestigious youth programmes in English football. But within seconds, having been bawled out for his tardiness by the former striker turned academy director and now Bramall Lane’s head of player development, Jebbison realised this was a place where standards mattered. Really mattered in fact.
Five years on from that embarrassing moment - “I just thought ‘wooah’, because you could tell he was serious” - Jebbison is reaping the rewards of the respect for his profession Lester quickly instilled in him. Having scored twice in three outings, including last week’s win over Hull City, the England under-20 international enters Sunday’s FA Cup tie at Wrexham as one of the most talked about players on the Championship club’s books. And with United’s attacking options being stretched by fitness issues and injuries, his timing could not have been better. For either Paul Heckingbottom’s side, as they edge closer towards promotion. Or, given that football is a ruthless, cut-throat business, the player himself.
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Hide AdJebbison, who is expected to start at the Racecourse Ground following a barnstorming performance against Liam Rosenior’s side, attributes his renaissance to a number of factors. A work placement with non-league Chorley equipped him with drive and determination “because, without wishing to sound disrespectful to those lads which I’m definitely not, I didn’t want to spend my career at that level.” A spell on loan at Burton Albion, where he studied under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, taught Jebbison the finer points of his art. But having burst onto the scene two seasons ago, when he became the youngest player to score on their full Premier League debut during an away victory at Everton, is still grateful for the tough love Lester and Paul Heckingbottom, United’s notoriously exacting manager, showed him when he first strolled through the doors.
“They showed me that the small details, those seemingly tiny ones like being ready for a training session, really do count. The lads who get to the very top, they know that. They have the highest possible standards. Right from that very first day, when Jack had a pop at me because I was a bit late for the warm up before a session, that’s what their attitude reminded me. I knew, right from that second, what they were all about.”
Rather than being intimidated by the demands Lester and Heckingbottom place on him, Jebbison is encouraged by their unforgiving approach. “They are really tough but that’s because of what they expect from me. They know my potential, so actually it shows they care.” That stubbornness and desire to excel proved crucial, not only when his family emigrated from Canada, but also during the aftermath of his finish at Goodison Park.
“There was so much noise after that and, don’t get me wrong, it was great to do it, but it was also really full on and I was still learning my trade,” Jebbison reflects. “Nothing has been given to me or any of the lads here. If you start, it’s because you deserve the start. We’ve earned what we get.
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Hide Ad“I’ve been through struggles and ups and downs like everyone else. But my friends, family and agent all give me the best advice and they’re great mentors to me. I think I’ve managed to be able to handle it all in a good way.”
A defining episode in Jebbison’s career came a year before his effort on Merseyside.
“Going to Chorley, playing non-league, that was my first taste of nasty football if you like. It toughened me up and it taught me so much, because everything you did mattered to the people around you. You got kicked, you got roughed up and it was hard. It’s something, tasting the game at that level, I’d recommend every single young player does.”
Iliman Ndiaye, Jebbison’s team mate at United, also tasted life in the semi-professional and amateur games. Once of Boreham Wood, the Senegal international has been a driving force behind their climb to second in the Championship table - scoring 10 goals and creating eight for others, including Jebbison’s during the meeting with City, which saw Heckingbottom’s men move 13 points clear of third.
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Hide Ad“I’m so proud of him,” Jebbison confesses. “Everyone wants to do what he’s doing. He’s a mate but also an inspiration.”
Another of Jebbison’s close friends and fellow academy graduate, Will Osula, is now back at United after being recalled from Derby County. Could the two of them eventually spearhead Heckingbottom’s attack at the highest level? “It’s a nice thought,” Jebbison smiles. “But we’ve got a lot of work to do before that has a chance of happening. It’s great to have Will back here though. He’s got so much talent and he's a really great guy too. We push each other on, we’re competitive but in a good way. Who knows what the future holds, if we keep working hard and listening to what we’re being told.”
Having also netted during United’s third round clash at Millwall, which set up the trip to north Wales, Jebbison aims to cement his place in Heckingbottom’s plans with another combative shift against opponents expected to claim the National League title after being purchased by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. With the tie being broadcast live on terrestrial television, it also represents an opportunity to reannounce himself to a national audience. Not that Heckingbottom, or Lester for that matter, will let Jebbison get ahead of himself.
“I’ve never forgotten that telling off I got,” Jebbison says. “It let me know that what’s happened before doesn’t matter. It’s all about the here and now.”