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…
13. James Hanson
Signed from Bradford City to give the Blades a different attacking dimension to get out of League One, Hanson did his job before moving on loan to Bury. He later signed for AFC Wimbledon and Grimsby Town, before moving to National League North side Farsley Celtic in the summer - reportedly rejecting interest from clubs in League Two to return to part-time football Photo: Simon Bellis
14. Harry Chapman
Signed on loan from Middlesbrough, Chapman scored a memorable second-half hat-trick in a 6-0 FA Cup win over Leyton Orient before an injury cut short his spell at Bramall Lane. He signed for Blackburn in 2019 and earlier this summer, joined Burton Albion in a loan deal until January 2022 Photo: Sportimage
15. Ethan Ebanks-Landell
'EEL' signed for the Blades on loan from Wolves and helped them win the League One title with 100 points that season. Later moved to MK Dons and Rochdale on loan from Wolves, before signing for Shrewsbury for an undisclosed fee Photo: Sportimage
16. Joe Riley
Played only a couple of times for the Blades after signing on loan from Manchester United, before moving permanently to Bradford City. He later signed for Carlisle United Photo: Simon Bellis