Captain John Egan relishing teaching new faces the Sheffield United way

After a period of relative stability forced by budget restrictions, 10 players joined to upgrade the squad for Premier League football this summer. There have been new faces from below too, with youngsters such as Will Osula and Andre Brooks stepping up to first-team level more often.

Like most good dressing rooms, the Blades’ has largely been self-policing in recent years, with the core of the side which finished ninth in the 2019-20 Premier League imposing the standards which brought that success.

Those players are fast becoming the minority with only Egan, Oliver Norwood, George Baldock and Oli McBurnie starting against Everton.

Enda Stevens, Jack O'Connell and most significantly Billy Sharp left at the end of the last season, with the club captaincy passing to Egan.

"I've been here a long time and I'm very familiar with the club and what it means to play for Sheffield United and what it takes to get the fans off their seats," said the centre-back, who filled in as Republic of Ireland skipper in last week's games against France and the Netherlands in the absence of the injured Seamus Coleman. "It's just about trying to drill that into people coming into the building.

"When I first came I learned it straight away just from seeing the tempo of the training. It has to be high intensity here. When it's not, that's the time to speak.

"Down the years when we've been at our best training has been intense every day.

"We've signed quality (players) and that only drives the standard and intensity of training up."

The transition is not a massive one for Egan, who often wore the armband last season, as veteran Sharp's game-time diminished.

"I don't really change who I am and they're well used to me by now," said the 30-year-old.

"Even when I'm not captain I want to do the same thing.

"There's maybe some other responsibilities to drive standards and stuff and set the example but luckily here we've got a good few experienced lads who drive the standards every day. It's good to be in that environment."

Egan feels five years playing alongside Sharp have helped prepare him.

"There's extra bits that come with it (now he is club captain) but Billy Sharp was an unbelievable club captain so I learned a lot from him," he said. "Having the armband a lot last season gets you used to it.

"It's something I relish.

"I played with some really good captains but I don't look to mould myself into anything, I am my own man.

"Sharpy was a brilliant captain here for the five years I've been here; at international level Seamus Coleman's a fantastic captain and I've learnt a lot from him too. It's these kind of guys you really look up to.

"When I was younger John O'Shea was captain at Sunderland when I was a young player coming through.

"I've been captain at Gillingham for a bit, Brentford for a bit and now here. I'm getting used to the role now but it's up to me to keep improving myself as a person and a player.

"I don't want to stop trying to improve and trying to drive standards around meuntil the day I finish. We've got a lot of experience in the changing room with that mindset anyway and a lot of leaders in the group.

"A huge example the last couple of years was Jack O'Connell, who hadn't been playing (due to the cruciate knee ligament injury which forced his retirement) but was still coming in every day setting a huge example, leading his way. I could go through a good five, six, seven lads who do the same, setting examples every day for people to look at and be inspired by, which is what we like to create here."

Egan joined up with Ireland having injured his knee against Everton but appears to have emerged unscathed from an international break where some of his club-mates have not been as fortunate.

Osula was withdrawn from Denmark Under-21s' game against Slovakia with a "minor injury".

George Baldock was sent home from Greece's camp with a calf problem he has been managing for a while, and Bosnia and Herzegovina suspended Anel Ahmedhodzic for not reporting because of a minor hamstring injury.

Whilst far from ideal, the injury to Osula is not the blow it would have been a few weeks ago. Before the arrival of Cameron Archer and with Oli McBurnie, Rhian Brewster and Daniel Jebbison injured (now ill), the 20-year-old was leading the line. Now, if he is fit for Saturday's Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, he is likely to be on the bench.

There was some positive injury news on Tuesday, Anis Slimane playing 72 minutes as the under-21s beat Cardiff City 6-2. The Tunisian had not featured since injuring his hamstring in the Premier League opener against Crystal Palace.