Phil Jagielka is among the former Sheffield United players who are still featuring for their current clubs.
Sheffield United are preparing for life back in the Premier League after their promotion from the Championship.
The Blades will return to the top flight following a two-year absence after they finished as runners-up in the Championship behind Burnley, while they also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, losing to Manchester City at Wembley.
Ex-Sheffield United players can’t we believe are still playing in 2023?
After a six-year stay in League One between 2011 and 2017, the Blades’ fortunes have significantly improved in recent years, winning promotion to the Premier League under Chris Wilder in 2019 and recording a ninth-placed finish the following season before their relegation in 2021.
Paul Heckingbottom has now led them back to the top flight and ahead of what is set to be a busy summer for the club, we looked back at some previous members of the Blades squad who are surprisingly still playing.
Phil Jagielka
Defender Jagielka began his career at Bramall Lane, coming through the academy and going on to make 287 first-team appearances for the club.
Jagielka departed for Everton in July 2007 for a fee of £4 million and spent 12 years at Goodison Park before re-joining the Blades in July 2019, making 22 appearances in two years.
After a short stint at Derby County, Jagielka joined Stoke City last January and the 40-year-old was a regular for the Potters this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions.
Jagielka has left the bet365 Stadium at the end of his contract.
Is Adlene Guedioura still playing?
Midfielder Guedioura joined the Blades in September 2021, but after making just two appearances, his contract was terminated by mutual consent the following February.
The 37-year-old previously had spells with the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Watford and Middlesbrough and made 62 appearances for Algeria at international level.
Guedioura joined League One side Burton Albion on a short-term deal last February, but he left just under two months later and moved to Al-Duhail in Qatar.
He now plies his trade for Al-Wahrak, where he is also a coach.
Stephen Quinn
Midfielder Quinn enjoyed a successful seven-year stint at Bramall Lane, scoring 22 goals in 237 appearances for the club between 2005 and 2012.
Quinn, who has made 18 appearances for the Republic of Ireland at international level, departed for Hull City in August 2012 and went on to have spells with Reading and Burton Albion, where he worked with Nigel Clough.
The 37-year-old would reunite with Clough at Mansfield Town, joining the Stags initially on loan in January 2021 before making the move permanent that summer.
Quinn was a regular this season as Clough’s side missed out on the League Two play-offs on goal difference, scoring two goals and registering seven assists in 44 appearances in all competitions and he has just extended his contract at the One Call Stadium by a further year.
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Sheffield United interested in signing French wing-back this summer
Club Brugge’s Faitout Maouassa is also wanted by Werder Bremen in Germany following a loan stint with Montpellier
Sheffield United were promoted to the Premier League over a month ago, but with their ownership situation unclear, it could make it harder for head coach Paul Heckingbottom to make early moves in the transfer market.
It will not stop the rumour mill putting in work though and according to a report from French publication L’Equipe – via Allez Paillade – the Blades, along with Bundesliga outfit Werder Bremen, hold an interest in French left-back Faitout Maouassa, who played on loan in France for Montpellier this past season but is contracted to Club Brugge of Belgium.
Who is Faitout Maouassa?
Capped at five different youth levels for France, Maouassa emerged through the professional ranks at Nancy after spending two years in their academy, and after contributing to six goals from 14 appearances in Ligue 1 in the 2016-17 season – mainly from the left wing – he moved to Stade Rennais for €7 million.
Maouassa spent the next four seasons in Ligue 1 – three with Rennes and one on loan at Nimes – but after 65 league outings for the former he was sold on in 2021 to Club Brugge of Belgium for €4 million.
He featured just nine times in his debut campaign at Brugge though, who then loaned him out to Montpellier in the French top flight for 2022-23.
Featuring in a number of positions such as left-back, wing-back and further forward on the wing, the 24-year-old scored five times and notched five assists for Montpellier this past season, which has seemingly caught the attentions of other clubs who are looking to sign him this summer.
Would Faitout Maouassa be a good signing for Sheffield United?
At Premier League level, United’s left wing-back options perhaps leave a lot to be desired going into the 2023-24 season.
It would be a different story if they were still a Championship club as Max Lowe, Rhys Norrington-Davies and Enda Stevens – should he still be a Blade next season – are good and solid players.
The fact that Heckingbottom utilised Norrington-Davies as more of a left-sided centre-back though when fit suggests that there’s definitely a need to sign a new wing-back, and even though he played mostly for Montpellier as either a left-back or a winger, Maouassa has the attacking traits to be a good wing-back.
At the age of 24, Maouassa is only going to improve and he has more speed and agility than the current options that United have at wing-back.
