'Best decision I've made' - John Fleck reflects on move from Coventry City to Sheffield United
John Fleck reflects on his 2016 move from Coventry City to Sheffield United
John Fleck has hailed his decision to join Sheffield United from Coventry City back in 2016 as the best one he has made in his career.
The midfielder swapped one League One club for another, penning a three-year deal at Bramall Lane after playing a starring role for the Sky Blues.
It proved to be an inspired decision, as within three years he was a Premier League player and a senior Scotland international.
A modern-day Blades hero, Fleck amassed 278 appearances for the club before departing for Blackburn Rovers in 2024. He moved on to Chesterfield later that year and is now a free agent after two years in League Two.
John Fleck reflects on Sheffield United move
Reflecting on his move to South Yorkshire, Fleck told BBC Radio Sheffield: “I was at Coventry, I’d obviously played against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane. I always loved going to play there, just with the fans and the atmosphere.
“A couple of years before that, I was supposed to go but it fell through. I’m thankful it didn’t [go through] now, because I might not have had the chance to go back. I met Chris [Wilder] and spoke to him for 10 minutes. He’s like ‘have a walk out and see the stadium’. I had a walk out and just said to my agent at the time, I was like ‘I want to sign here, simple’.
“I was speaking to a few clubs at the time and I was like ‘no, I’ll sign here’. I had to go up to Glasgow and drive back down the next day to get it all sorted. [It was the] best decision I’ve made.”
‘Never been the same’
Wilder assembled a tight-knit squad comprised of many players who would go on to become Sheffield United icons.
Fleck has conceded he is yet to experience a changing room connection quite as strong as the one he experienced at Bramall Lane.
He said: “It was the best time in my career. I think that group of boys that was there would say the same thing. I think, in your career, you probably get one chance at [having] that sort of group of players we had. Anywhere else I’ve been, it’s never been the same.
“You don’t get that sort of changing room that we had there very oftten in your career. Thankfully I got to spend seven-and-a-half years there, a lot of them with the same people. Amazing memories, obviously [you’re] friends for life when you’ve been together for that long. I still get along very well with Chris.”