Rhian Brewster describes relief and joy of breaking his Sheffield United duck after record move from Liverpool

Rhian Brewster had just ended his long goal drought for Sheffield United and, in the heat of the moment, set off towards an empty Bramall Lane stand to celebrate the occasion he had waited so long for.
Rhian Brewster celebrates his first goal in Sheffield United colours earlier this month: Simon Bellis / SportimageRhian Brewster celebrates his first goal in Sheffield United colours earlier this month: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Rhian Brewster celebrates his first goal in Sheffield United colours earlier this month: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

“I started running the other way before I realised where the fans were,” the young striker laughed. “I wanted to share the moment with the supporters that were in the stadium, because it was such a relief to put it in the back of the net.”

The goal came in United’s EFL Cup first-round win over Carlisle United earlier this month and although he would have wanted his first to come much earlier and in a potentially more glamorous game, the former Liverpool man was probably at the stage when anything would do as he lined up for his 32nd appearance in Blades colours since his club-record move from Liverpool 10 months earlier.

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It wasn’t the most spectacular of his formative career either, coming from a couple of yards out after an initial effort was saved. But the man himself didn’t care a jot.

“Pure emotion,” he admitted. “It was a relief to get the first goal but I was happy and excited to share it with the fans as well.

“You could see what it meant to me, and my family. The lads were happy for me as well and I appreciate every single one of them – especially Sharpy [Billy Sharp], being the captain he is, the man he is and how many goals he has scored for the Blades. For him to say well done meant a lot to me as well.”

Brian Deane, the legendary former United striker, is a man who knows all about scoring goals in the famous red and white stripes and watched on from his position as a summariser with United’s in-house SUTV channel as Brewster got off the mark.

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“It gets to you,” he admitted, when asked about the psychological effects as a goal drought. “You’re on edge so much, even when you pull up at traffic lights or go into the supermarket and you’re wondering what people are thinking about you.

“But when you get that first one, you forget about everything and I hope he uses it as a platform to get the next one and the nxt one.

“I’m sure he’s forgetting about what’s gone in the past and I feel that if he’s sensible, and the people around him are, then that’s a positive.”

Brewster was left on the bench in midweek as United beat Derby County in the second round of the EFL Cup, thanks to goals from Luke Freeman and skipper Sharp after Louie Sibley had put the Rams ahead, and will hope to start again this weekend when the Blades travel to Luton Town hoping to secure their first league victory under new boss Slavisa Jokanović.

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“It was tough, having a whole season without scoring,” Brewster admitted.

“But I kept thinking it was going to come and kept pushing, working hard on training on all types of finishing.

“Just to get that one moment to change all of that. And when it came, it was a good moment.”

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