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…
17. Jay O'Shea
The Irishman joined United on loan from Chesterfield for the run-in of the League One promotion season, scoring three goals in his five league starts. Then moved to Bury before signing for A-League club Brisbane Roar, then managed by Robbie Fowler, in 2019 Photo: Simon Bellis