Anel Ahmedhodzic on Sheffield United: Positive vibes and a 'weird' lack of egos

Top of the Championship going into September's Nations League break, the Blades go to Carlos Corberan's West Bromwich Albion having won none of their six games since.

Despite that, the Bosnian centre-back still feels a positive mood around Shirecliffe.

It is another vindication of his decision to return to England when he left Malmo in the summer.

"It's a very professional club, run well," says the 23-year-old who came through Nottingham Forest’s youth system as a teenager. "It's got the right people at the right positions.

"We have the right players, right staff to make the push to go to the Premier League and stay there.

"(In the summer) I wanted a solid, stable club that really wants me for me, so I don't go somewhere just because an agent made a deal. Speaking to my agent, this club had everything – a good city, good coach, good people working here, everyone's positive and even after a loss I've not felt any negative vibes.

"Sometimes in clubs I've been to you can have some negative vibes and it's not good.

"Everyone being positive here is exactly what I was looking for.

"It's also a very big thing for the club to achieve things.

"I just feel like the way everyone is acting, it's a winner's mentality.

"And it's a very good city. It's all football here and it feels like home because football is home for me. My only complaint is the traffic in the morning."

You can understand why Ahmedhodzic wanted stability after turning down the Blades in January to join Bordeaux on loan, only for them to be relegated two divisions for a combination of footballing and financial failings.

But the dressing room has been important too, and he has been delighted with how Chris Basham – who he was effectively signed to replace as the overlapping right-sided centre-back – has tried to help him.

"It's actually weird," said Ahmedhodzic. "Every club has at least one ego player. I haven't seen one here, which is weird but really good."

On-loan centre-back Ciaran Clark and wing-back Enda Stevens have been in full training this week, a welcome boost to the injury-ravaged left side of defence, but as neither have played since August, both may need more time on the training ground to be Championship-ready.