Sheffield United: Long gets boost from Blades chief Adkins

The 22-year-old has started the club’s last four matches in all competitions after being restored to the starting line-up ahead of Mark Howard, with the faith of Adkins - a former goalkeeper himself - having been justified.

Long is set to line up again in tonight’s League One game with visiting Shrewsbury Town and despite the 11th-placed Blades struggling to piece together positive results on a consistent basis in the league, Adkins has been pleased with the impact of his young keeper.

More especially since he endured a fraught start to the season in conceding four goals in the Blades’ 4-0 opening-day loss at Gillingham, with Long having put that blow firmly behind him.

On Long, who made three key saves in the weekend draw at Walsall, Adkins said: “He’s demonstrated his qualities and made some very good saves, others that you’d expect him to make.

“We played him in the first game (at Gillingham) and he conceded early. There were a lot of travelling supporters behind the goal and, yes, as a young man it can be hard to deal with, that response.

“But that’s also the Football League. Can you deal with it?

“He’s young and has got an excellent coach in Darren Ward. But he’s shown his qualities, his standards and his attitudes.

“George is very brave. Look at the way he dives at the feet or comes through bodies. For a young player, that’s so important.

“Of course, George can achieve, we’ve got a lot of belief in him.

“We’ve got to give him confidence and he works extremely hard. Of course he’s going to make a mistake at times. Who doesn’t?

“But that’s how you learn and he’s got so many good attributes and qualities. He’s come through our system too which is important.

“There has got to be a pathway there for people to do that.”