Fleetwood v Sheffield United: Scougall battling to earn new Blades deal

Stefan Scougall returns to Fleetwood Town today commenting: 'It's the club where I recovered my love for the game'.
Stefan Scougall and Blades boss Chris WilderStefan Scougall and Blades boss Chris Wilder
Stefan Scougall and Blades boss Chris Wilder

The Sheffield United midfielder was shipped out on loan to Fleetwood last season and told by former Blades chief Nigel Adkins to find a new club in the summer.

But the 23-year-old Scotsman, who played 10 times for the Cod Army, has impressed Adkins’s replacement Chris Wilder.

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Scougall admits he feared his Bramall Lane days were over, but is hungry to extend his contract which expires at the end of the current campaign.

“I went to Fleetwood on loan last season and thoroughly enjoyed my time there,” said Scougall. “I wasn’t playing much last season, for various reasons, so went there on loan.

“I started playing again and recovered my love for the game.

“I could have ended up being there this season if things had worked out differently.

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“Under Nigel Adkins, he told me at the end of the season to look for a new team, and I think they were in talks with Fleetwood to do a deal.

“Obviously, I am thankful to them for giving me a chance to get out there and play football, so it will be good to go back.

“But staying at Sheffield United was always my main aim.

“I have been delighted to have been brought back in by the gaffer. He has given me a chance and I have been trying to reward him. I think I have not done too bad since I came in.

“One of my goals this season is to play as much as possible, get the team back where it belongs, and earn a new contract.

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“I am in my last year now so need to be looking at that. If I can do well enough to get in the team, then I want to do well enough to get a new contract.

“I moved down from Edinburgh, a fair distance, and I have become attached to the club. I have loved my time here and hope I can extend that beyond this season.”

Wilder’s style of football also suits Scougall, who is showing the form which made him a popular player under Nigel Clough.

“The gaffer knows I have energy, and that’s the way he likes to play, high intensity, pressing, direct football and going at teams. For me personally, that’s my game and suits me.

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“He saw how I played when I first came down here under Nigel Clough. It was all high intensity stuff. He sat me down at the start of the season and told me that’s what he wants. Hopefully, I have done enough to prove that I have done that and can stay in the team.”