‘Monty’ is hopeful of luck finally going for the Blades

Long-serving ‘Monty’ was forced into the role of supporting act with the Blades this season due to injuries and the pressures of his wife giving birth prematurely to twins.

The suicide of former Blades and Leeds player Gary Speed in November also stunned the 30-year-old, who hails from Leeds and regarded the Welshman as a hero.

After returning from a loan spell at Millwall, Montgomery is the leading contender to replace injured midfielder Kevin McDonald in Saturday’s League One play-off final against Huddersfield Town at Wembley.

“I’ve probably had my worst season since I joined the club,” Montgomery told the Yorkshire Post. “I have been back and forth from hospital all season and that led to me picking up niggling injuries that I am not used to.

“I am not moaning about it because the twins are the best thing that has happened to me in my life. It was just hard work – as anyone who has a poorly child will know.”

On the death of Speed, Montgomery said: “It was devastating news. I played with him and he also made me captain. He will always have a place in my heart and, if we can win this game for anybody, then it will be for him. Hopefully ‘Speedo’ will be looking down on us – and it will give us that little boost at Wembley.”

A veteran of the club’s last two play-off final appearances against Wolves and Burnley, Montgomery lost his first-team place to Michael Doyle and McDonald.

The pair have won plaudits for their performances in the centre of the park but McDonald is a doubt for the final after pulling a hamstring in the semi-final second leg win over Stevenage.

Montgomery, who has not started for the Blades since the Steel City derby at Sheffield Wednesday on February 26, stepped off the bench against Stevenage and showed no signs of rust.

“It was nice to be involved again,” he admitted. “I had gone down to Millwall to get some games but unfortunately I tore my calf for the first time in my career.

“That was a real low point of my season because it felt like I had let (Millwall manager) Kenny Jackett down. He put his faith in me and had wanted me to go down there and help.

“I came back here and for six weeks I have been working as hard as possible in the gym. Naturally, I was always hoping that we would go up automatically but I still had one eye on the play-offs. My main aim was to be fit for these games if we were to go there.”

With over 400 games under his belt for the Blades, Montgomery has been a part of the Bramall Lane set-up since 1997 when he was released as a teenager by Leeds.

He has played in semi-finals of both the FA Cup and the League Cup and helped the Blades win promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock.

Relegation to League One last season, however, was a bitter blow and failure to clinch automatic promotion at the first attempt was compounded by the success of arch-rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

“Last season was the biggest low,” Montgomery reflected. “We found ourselves with a lot of loan players and five different managers.

“Stability is something that we have always had at this club but we lost that last season and it resulted in relegation. It was a disappointment not to go up automatically but, if you had offered us the play-off final at the start of the season, we would have taken it because League One is a tough league.”

The loss of striker Ched Evans, who was jailed for rape with three games of the season to play, left a major gap in the Blades’ attack. On-loan striker Will Hoskins then needed groin surgery before former England striker James Beattie collected a red card which ruled him out of the play-offs.

“A lot of this season we were lucky in that we didn’t have many injuries or suspensions,” said Montgomery.

“We had a settled side – win, lose, or draw – but, come the end of the season, we have seen how important it is to have a squad.

“Losing vital players at vital parts of the season would be difficult for anybody. It could easily have resulted in the lads folding but we kept going – although it means nothing yet.

“We now have 90 minutes to finish the season on a high and it’s all about one performance.

“People say it’s a lottery but you have got to hope that we turn up on the day and put in a performance.”

Montgomery is only too aware of the Blades’ dismal record in play-offs but says: “Our record has to change some time. I’m quite superstitious and I am believing it will be a case of third time lucky for me.

“We are going there with players who have experienced it before and, hopefully, that will stand us in good stead.”