'Vital' - Sheffield United defender lavished with praise by pundit after gutsy Spurs display

United pulled off another impressive result weekend, this time away to Spurs, where a VAR controversy-blighted game saw Chris Wilder's side emerge with a point - they could easily have had all three, had it not been for Basham being adjudged to have been in an offside position for David McGoldrick's disallowed goal.

Writing in his weekly column, the pundit - who famously branded the Blades' football as 'too basic' for the top tier earlier in the campaign - had high praise for the United centre-back, who was a constant thorn in Spurs' side on Saturday.

He wrote: "Sheffield United's ability to defend may be the prime reason they remain in the Premier League and Chris Basham is proving to be a vital member of that defensive unit.

"He didn't get Sheffield United's goal against Spurs, who still haven't recovered from their European final defeat, but did as much as anyone to enable the ball to go over the line from George Baldock's cross.

He continued: "If Basham had got a touch, VAR would have almost certainly ruled it offside. Last week I called VAR a joke. Its decision to rule out David McGoldrick's finish was nothing short of pathetic."

Sheffield United head into the international break sitting in fifth place in the Premier League, and face a struggling Manchester United at Bramall Lane in their next match.