Family and team-mates help Sheffield United's 'Mr Angry' channel his aggression

It's the Sheffield United defender's considered view that he actually plays better when he is 'on the edge' and he opened up on that topic with candour and revealing insight in the club's latest pre-match press conference.

His sense of on-pitch anger - or channelled aggression as Baldock likes to put it - is currently prevalent amid another high-stakes, tense final third of the season for him and his club where fates are on the line.

But when the fury does subside in those quieter, more reflective off-pitch moments, there is something less demonstrative which is also fuelling his drive to earn a second promotion to the Premier League in Blades colours. Perspective.

At a time of the year when things can be stressful, Baldock has that.

His elder brother Sam, a striker at Oxford United, has spent most of the past year or so on the sidelines, due to a serious knee injury.

The pair speak daily and the fact that Baldock’s sibling has cast aside his own travails to provide ongoing encouragement to the Blades wing-back in his own quest means the world to him.

At Bramall Lane and the club's Shirecliffe training ground, the support from several Blades players doing it tough in their own fitness battles cannot be understated in terms of being a driver and inspiration for Baldock and his team-mates to get over the line either.

It was witnessed in the aftermath of Tuesday’s key win at Reading.

Baldock said: "I must say that the lads who have been injured here have been different class.

"Rhian Brewster, Rhys Norrington-Davies and the lads with long-term injuries have been absolutely brilliant around the squad. That's a massive thing to touch on.

"They are always first to write in the group chat when we are away from home. I cannot speak highly enough of their attitude.

"Even though they don't think they are as they are injured, they are chipping in daily with their attitude and how they are around the place, Fair play to them."

On backing from his brother, he added: "We speak a lot and he's been in these similar situations before. It's good experience to listen to.

"I speak to him every day and it's not nice when he's injured a lot.

"But he's still very keen on talking about the Blades and how we are doing and he has watched us and says we're doing great.

"So when I speak to him, he's quick to turn the conversation back around to Sheffield United.

"It's difficult being injured and watching and I had to experience that for eight weeks. He's been out a lot longer and it's not nice."

As valuable as that outside input is, Baldock will be back to being the equivalent of 'Mr Angry' when the match-day bell goes and getting under the skin of opponents.

Under Paul Heckingbottom, he has been back to his belligerent best after a brief lull during the tenure of Slavisa Jokanovic, with the current Blades chief pushing his buttons in the same way as Chris Wilder successfully did before that.

He said: "I remember Chris Wilder saying that I always play the best when I am angry. I do feel like he's right. Others are different, but personally I need to be at that tenacious, aggressive type to be at my best.

“In the first season we came down, I didn't have that anger and adrenalin and it really affected my performance.

"When Hecky came back in, it came back to me. Hecky was the same as Chris and he'd remind me of what makes me perform at my best. It was a real turning point for me. Since them, I have felt that anger.

"I am very passionate when we win, I hate losing. I hate drawing, to be honest - although I don't mind it sometimes.

"I just want to win at everything I do, whether it is a game of pool or anything. I've always had that competitive nature and it just comes out of me. I guess you can call it passion.

"I went on loan to Iceland and think I was the record quickest suspension for yellow cards. But I have learned from experience. I (also) remember in lockdown watching The Last Dance with Michael Jordan.

"Even with him, the greatest in his sport talent-wise, he also had that mental switch to get an upper hand on his opponent and use different tactics. To get the best out of yourself, you need that fire in your belly.”

Despite that fire, Baldock's accumulation of a rather modest five yellow cards this term indicates a certain discipline in not overstepping the mark with his angry side and being streetwise to a degree.

He commented "I think it is just experience. I remember in the Premier League when I was booked multiple times in the first half and it just about being clever and using your experience and talking to referees.

"Despite being aggressive, I always seem to have good relationships with referees. Maybe it helps me."