Sheffield United star makes Premier League pledge ahead of top-flight tests next season

George Baldock insists Sheffield United have “tremendous belief” that they can shine in the Premier League next season after the Blades’ promotion back to the top-flight.

Paul Heckingbottom’s side made sure of playing at the highest level last week with victory over West Brom at Bramall Lane, hammering Preston North End 4-1 at Bramall Lane on Saturday to celebrate further.

Trips to Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City round off United’s Championship commitments this season before thoughts turn to the Premier League in the summer, with United having some unfinished business in the top-flight.

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Baldock and Co. finished ninth in the Premier League in their first season back in the Premier League and flirted with qualifying for European football before Covid-19 derailed their momentum. Suffering badly from a loss of confidence, and crowds, in the second season, they were relegated the following campaign.

But displays in the FA Cup against Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City this season have given an extra injection of confidence that the Blades can once again hold their own in the top-flight next season. United beat Spurs in the fifth round on their way to a 3-0 defeat at Wembley - no disgrace against a side of treble-chasing City’s quality.

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Baldock in particular excelled in a typically-combative battle with England star Jack Grealish and admitted he “loves” the challenge of staying switched on against top-flight stars. “That’s my game,” he admitted. “That’s why I think arguably I performed better in the Premier League than I did in the Championship in the last season we went up.

“You’re in those moments a lot more. I relish them, I love them. I never fear them. As you’re approaching him, it’s just you v him, and I love those moments. Sometimes they are going to go past you, because they’ve got the ball and they are incredibly talented. So you can’t stop them all the time. But it’s about making their afternoon difficult and I’d like to think I did [against City].

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“We’ve all got tremendous belief in ourselves. Like you saw last time we got promoted, we finished second with Norwich winning the league, and we went up a gear.“I’d like to think that we can do that again. There’s no reason not to.”

Despite being born almost 100 miles south of Sheffield in the market town of Buckingham, few players have bought into life at United as much as Baldock since he signed from MK Dons in 2017. Now a senior Greece international, and previously namechecked by Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min as one of his toughest opponents, Baldock is relishing another battle against the best in the country next term.

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“I don’t like saying: ‘We respect these players, but not too much’ because I do,” he added. “I truly respect all of them, their careers and their mentality to go year after year and win things. They’ve got to the top of the tree and they continue to stay there.

“I respect them tremendously, but it comes down to you as an individual. Are you going to shirk it or say: ‘Come on then, how am I going to do against you?’

“That’s my mentality towards it, to try and have a go. See if I can get the upper hand on these world-class players every now and again. Then you build from that with belief.”

In that respect, Baldock is a perfect fit for the ethos that has run through the Blades’ DNA during all the successful periods in their recent history.

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“It’s demanded from the terraces, it’s demanded from the manager, from the dressing room and the environment we work in every day,” he said.

“There’s a saying in our dressing room - outwork, outfight - and that’s kind of what football is. You go out there and give your best and try and win individual battles.

“You’ve just got to do a little bit more against teams like [City] to win. But I’m hoping the lads in there can gain tremendous belief.”

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