Sheffield United 'appoint' former Manchester City, Everton and Burnley man to key role

The 58-year-old represented the club as a player in the 1990s before returning as academy manager for a spell over a decade ago. Having left his role as a senior scout at Everton last summer, he is said to have returned to South Yorkshire.

According to The Star, he has landed a key recruitment position at Bramall Lane ahead of what could be a summer of significant change. Blades boss Chris Wilder has said the upcoming transfer window will be the most important one in the last “nine or 10 years” for the club.

He said: "Regardless of what division we're in, it will be the most important window for the last nine or 10 years. We have to get it right in a lot of ways. Obviously the ability, but most importantly for me is from a cultural and attitude point of view, in terms of what this team needs to get back to looking like.”

Relegation to the Championship is a strong possibility for Wilder’s men, who sit rock-bottom of the top flight on 15 points. They are seven points adrift of safety with just nine games left to play.

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Hoyland boasts a wealth of experience in different areas of the game, first developing his reputation as a midfielder with the likes of Manchester City and Burnley.

He later ventured into coaching but has diverted his attention towards scouting in recent years. If Sheffield United are to bounce back from their dismal campaign, shrewd talent identification is likely to be crucial.