Home comforts enabling Sheffield United’s Sander Berge to remain active

That big investment also saw them recruit a player with the mentality, self-drive and maturity to compliment his football gifts.

That strength of character is now serving Berge well following the temporary curtailment of his career move to the Premier League, with the 22-year-old now training on his own in his native Norway and not in Sheffield with his Blades team-mates.

For Berge, heading back home is far from ideal, but there is also refreshing perspective from the Norwegian, who returned to his homeland following the suspension of football in England amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Berge, who joined United from Belgian club Genk, said: “For 35 months in the last three years, I was alone in Belgium.

“Ok, I had family members for certain games and had been on the national team and had holidays, but mostly, I’ve been on my own and know how to keep myself busy and enjoy my own company otherwise it’d be difficult.

“It is a strange time. Since I was quite young, I played with older players and started playing with 14-year-old’s at 11 and have a brother was eight years older than me, so I have been old in my own way from a young age.

“I feel like I have grown a lot and can handle these situations. I have seen a chance to be a better player and it is about being mentally strong.

“I am fit, happy and a Sheffield United player in the Premier League which is a dream, so I have nothing to complain about.”

Hailing from a suburb of Oslo, Berge – aside from following his fitness programmes – is passing much leisure time playing computer games, the preserve of many young modern-day footballers

It is helping to provide a welcome international element of competition for him as well.

Berge said: “I have been playing Fifa, Tour of Duty or Fortnite; that is the most common and is what I like. Instead of FaceTiming just one or two friends, I can play with everybody there.

“On Monday or Tuesday, I think Norway are supposed to be playing a game with Germany. The Norwegian Federation asked me to play, so I will probably have a role in it.”

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