Sheffield United v Everton - Brexit means Blades can no longer let local talent go

The Everton forward saw his football journey start out at Handsworth Boys Club at the age of five before being picked up by the Blades three years later.

He returns to S2 this evening as one of the revelations of the Premier League season, a player who is keeping up to the very best traditions of acclaimed goal-scoring centre-forwards at Goodison Park as he seeks to follow the likes of Royle, Sharp, Gray and Latchford and secure a permanent place in the hearts and minds of Evertonians.

Alongside the royal blue jersey, the white shirt of England is also sitting well on the shoulders of Calvert-Lewin, a likeable, talented and mature lad whose star is in the ascendancy.

There will be a touch of regret among Unitedites that Calvert-Lewin, much like others including Harry Maguire and Kyle Walker, are striding out in the big time without the red and white striped shirt of the Blades on their backs.

For Wilder, there is still pride that Sheffield lads and ‘Blades’ such as Calvert-Lewin have made it, although he would be forgiven for not wanting to witness too much of his talent tonight.

Back on October 31, Walker – in his 100th appearance for Manchester City – scored the only goal of the game against his boyhood side at the Lane.

Out of respect, there were no celebrations from a Sheffielder who joined United at the age of seven.

Should Calvert-Lewin do the same and find the net this evening, he is likely to be similarly muted and restrained.

On the return home of the striker, who was sold to the Toffees in 2016 for financial reasons at the start of Wilder’s reign when the club were in the third tier, the Blades chief said: “From my connection at Northampton when we took him (on loan) and to see him go to Everton and kick on is great and getting in the England side is brilliant for Dom and I know how proud his family must be.

“We can take a little bit of pride of where he started his journey.

“It was a difficult time for us to hold onto Dominic, but opportunities have opened up there and he has taken them, not just at club level, but international level and I am delighted that he has.

“Obviously, he is a Sheffield boy and someone who thinks a lot about this football club and it is great to watch his progression through the last two or three years.”

The club’s financial situation would later have a bearing in the sales of the likes of David Brooks, Che Adams and Aaron Ramsdale – although the latter has since returned to Bramall Lane.

For that reason and some others, they could not flower together at Bramall Lane, something that will also be lamented by those with United in the blood.

With Britain leaving the European Union, there will be a renewed emphasis on club’s developing home-grown players from their ranks and a premium is likely to be placed on young talent from this country.

As from January, Premier League clubs will be limited to three Under-21 signings in each window, with all foreign players subjected to a points-based threshold to be eligible to play in the UK.

Players from EU countries will not be allowed to sign without a work permit, while foreign players under 19 cannot be bought at all as part of post-Brexit regulations, meaning that top-flight clubs will have to wait to obtain the services of young overseas talent.

Wilder said: “For me, with Brooks, Dom, Che and Rammers – players who have been here in my time – looking at it now, they would not have (ideally) gone and we would not have been in a situation where we had to free bits and pieces up to get us into the situation we are in now.

“We would not have wanted Brooksy to go, you don’t want any young players to. Especially the local ones. But even Brooksy and Rammers have an affiliation to the football club, even though they weren’t born within half a mile of Bramall Lane.”

Specifically commenting on the implications of Brexit regarding the club’s future recruitment, the Blades chief added: “In terms of recruitment, it is going to have an effect. But you look at the Premier League and if you are going to bring players in from abroad, they have to come in over the top and straight into your team for me.

“The issues about value, caps and international appearances and whatever gets taken out of the equation in the Premier League and I am not sure it will affect too much of what happens.

“It might do underneath that in terms of young players, but first and foremost, I want to get our Academy right and bring some Sheffield boys through.

“It is difficult for young players, but I want to back Jack Lester and Paul Heckingbottom and everyone at the Academy, first and foremost, without looking abroad and bringing young players in.”

In terms of bringing in senior players, Wilder is aiming to complete a couple of pieces of key business in next month’s transfer window and has confirmed that any additions will be loan signings, with his pursuit of another centre-half to mitigate for the long-term absent of Jack O’Connell being well known.

Given the Blades’ parlous predicament, character will be prized just as much as ability.

Wilder, whose side’s last Premier League win was on July 11, added: “We have got to play our way through this (period) to win games. You cannot just fight in every game and expect to get a result. You have to fight to get the ball, then play and create. It is not always a big punch-up, there has to be play involved at this level.

“But certainly the players must have the fight and character to fight our way through this situation.

“It is not for the faint-hearted and is going to take some big performances and big characters to step up to the mark.

“When you are a player, seeing someone coming through the doors at the training ground lifts everybody and hopefully in January, us getting a couple in will have that effect on the group.”

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