It was a personal triumph for then-manager Chris Wilder, the boyhood Blade who inherited a club on the floor from previous boss Nigel Adkins.
United had finished the previous campaign 11th in League One and his rebuilding task was a huge one. But with clever recruitment, he assembled a squad that could not be matched in the division that season – even after falling to the bottom of it after the first few games.
Some players signed that season made only a fleeting impression on the Blades, while others have become stalwarts who later starred in the Premier League. So, we had a look at what happened to the 17 signings from Wilder’s first season in charge…
9. Caolan Lavery
Signed for the Blades after his contract on the other side of the city expired, Lavery later had loan spells at Rotherham United and Bury and joined Walsall after leaving the Lane permanently. In August 2021, he signed for Bradford City Photo: Simon Bellis
10. Reece Brown
Played only a couple of games on loan for the Blades before returning to Bury, and was last seen at Rochdale. Still only 29 Photo: Simon Bellis
11. Samir Carruthers
Signed from MK Dons, Carruthers played for the Blades in League One and the Championship before joining Oxford United on loan. He moved to Cambridge United after leaving Bramall Lane on a permanent basis, and was last seen at Hemel Hempstead Town in National League South Photo: Simon Bellis
12. Daniel Lafferty
Another key man in the Blades' League One promotion success, Lafferty later spent time on loan at Peterborough United before moving to Shamrock Rovers. He then returned to his native Northern Ireland with Derry City Photo: David Klein