Tom Davies leaves Sheffield United with sense of what might have been as frustration outweighs fulfilment
Tom Davies leaves Sheffield United with sense of what might have been as frustration outweighs fulfilment
There are some tough decisions facing Chris Wilder and Sheffield United as they prepare for their big summer rebuild but, unfortunately for all concerned, the decision that Tom Davies’ contract will not be renewed was not amongst them. The former England U21 international will depart in the summer, the club officially confirmed this afternoon.
It will have come as no huge surprise to anyone, given Wilder’s publicly stated desire for availability and robustness from next season onwards. The sad truth of the matter is that Davies has shown little of either since he arrived at Bramall Lane in 2023.
That isn’t intended as a criticism. As Wilder has frequently reminded in recent years, no player enjoys being injured and for Davies, the continual spells on the sidelines must have been horrendous. On so many occasions, he looked to have taken a step forward. Inevitably, two steps back followed.
This is not a story of a man content to sit on the treatment table and count his dough. United and Davies left no stone unturned in a bid to get to the bottom of his persistent injury issues, with the midfielder and a United doctor flying to Germany late last year to visit a specialist.
Tom Davies leaves Sheffield United with sense of what might have been after frustration outweighs fulfilment
In 2024, he travelled to the same country to spend time at a neuroscience clinic, which was previously used by the likes of Manuel Neuer and David Alaba, to try and stave off hamstring issues that had plagued him at that point.
Davies signed after the start of the 2023/24 season, after turning down the offer of a new deal at his boyhood club Everton in a bid to kickstart his career elsewhere, and never really had a full pre-season in his years at United that followed.
The fact that Unitedites saw genuine glimpses of Davies’ quality only added to the frustration. The high point of his Lane career was undoubtedly a late winner against Sunderland last season while at other times, his calming presence in midfield stood out a mile at Championship level.
His career earned him respect at United anyway but there was a lot more for him when he made another injury return last term and stuck his hand up to play away at Watford when United were down to the barest of bones. He’d been eased in a little with 45 minutes, then played 90 minutes three times in seven days.
What could have been a foundation proved another false dawn and a total of 36 appearances in nearly three seasons did not warrant an extension - even if United’s statement made it clear that Davies will depart with the best wishes of everyone at United.
He has interests outside of football, including a business which helps turn chopsticks into furniture and fuels his passion for sustainability. He has been commendably open about his experiences with mental health, and having another outlet helped him during the dark days.
“With an injury, it’s sort of like it freezes you – you can’t affect anything and you’re conscious of how long you’ve been injured for,” Davies has previously said. “It can become a very lonely place and when it’s your only focus, it can be like your world is injured too.
“You don’t want to leave the house because you don’t know what to do. Or because you’re injured you can’t connect to other people because you’re feeling bad yourself. I think for me, it’s a massive help to have other interests.”
Ultimately, though, he is a footballer who hasn’t played enough football of late and it will be intriguing to see how the next chapter of his story unfolds as Davies looks to rediscover that part of his identity.