Tyrese Campbell justifies Brian Deane praise with shock stunner to get Sheffield United back on track

As he watched his left-footed thunderbolt arrow towards the top corner of Paul Nardi’s goal and give Sheffield United a valuable two-goal cushion over a spirited QPR side, there were few as surprised as Tyrese Campbell inside Loftus Road. Not that the former Stoke City striker doesn’t back his technical ability; the initial feeling was more one of relief.

“It gave us a little bit more comfort in the game, and it was also my first goal back since injury,” the former England U20 international said. “So I was buzzing for myself, and more importantly the team. We could probably have scored more as well.

“I didn’t think it was our best performance but we dug in there and got the three points. I don’t think I’ve ever scored a goal like that in my career. I don’t really remember it going in, but I watched it back afterwards and was like: ‘Yeah, okay, cool.’ It’s definitely one of the best goals I’ve scored but one of the most important ones as well, to help us get three points here.”

He is serenaded each game by Unitedites as the man who put the ball in the Wednesday net and this was another vital contribution from a striker who is making a mockery of his free transfer status in the summer after leaving Stoke City.

He was behind the eight-ball at the start of the season after a tough summer which saw the passing of his father Kevin and had to get up to speed, but seven goals from 23 appearances is a very respectable return that puts him level with Gustavo Hamer as the Blades’ top scorer this term.

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His performances also recently earned praise from Brian Deane, one of the greatest strikers in United’s modern history and as good a judge as any of what constitutes a good forward display in a red-and-white shirt. “He’s an old-fashioned type of player,” Deane told FLW, “and has that physical aspect to him with decent pace and a little bit different. I like him.”

Campbell’s second-half strike helped calm a few United nerves after Ben Brereton Diaz’s opener, although Michael Frey’s penalty 20 minutes from the end helped set up an interesting finish as the Blades registered the perfect response to defeat against title rivals Leeds United five days earlier.

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“We knew that we had to win and we put that pressure on ourselves, because we know how good we are,” Campbell added. “We always come into a game and do everything we can to win. Whether that’s game management, how we attack, how we defend or how we press.

“We get after the ball, especially away from home. We put a big emphasis on that, and we did that today. It didn’t always work at times, but we got the three points and that was what we came for.”