Sheffield United's Tommy Doyle 'expects' to score goals like FA Cup blockbuster as he strives for better

The midfielder joined on loan from Manchester City precisely because he did not want an easy life, and although he feels "free" and "happy" at Bramall Lane, his time there has lived up to that.

The biggest expectations on him are those he has for himself, as he showed after scoring the best and most important goal of his senior career on Sunday.

"I don't want to sound cocky but I want to expect these things from myself," said Doyle, unable to play in the last-four game because the Blades will face his parent club. “I want to step up in big moments and help the team as much as I can."

In the last seven days, he has certainly done that, scoring the winner in his first Championship game as the Blades' out-and-out holding midfielder, a crucial match at Sunderland. He topped that with a stunning stoppage-time finish to secure a 3-2 FA Cup quarter-final win over Blackburn Rovers.

"It's been a good week but we're all in this together and the team help me perform," stressed Doyle, inset.

"You don't know until you do it that you can. There'll be times when I might not do it but as long as I'm out there giving 110 per cent for the club, there's not much more I can ask of myself."

It was "100 per cent" his best senior goal, he said, but it got him thinking about how he needs to be better when the ball drops to him from distance.

"It happens to me a lot but it always ends up on my left foot so I think I need to work on my left a bit more from distance because I had one (earlier in the game) and it trickled to the keeper," he said. "I know it took a deflection but it barely reached.

"I saw when Sander (Berge) cut inside they (Blackburn’s players) had all dropped in so I knew if he fired the ball into me I'd trust myself to have a good first touch and then after that it's just repetition of what I try to do every day on the training pitch.

"I've scored a few in the academy but in the professional game, 100 per cent, it was definitely my best."

Asked why he did not just take the easy route and stay at City to continue learning there, he replied: "I don't expect that (easy life) for myself. You want to better yourself in life and I knew I wasn't going to play every week.

"I had an opportunity to come here and it was a no-brainer for me.

"I'm really enjoying it and maybe you can tell by my performances, I feel free, I feel happy.

"I know where I am at the moment and this club is playing a massive part in how I'm developing and progressing.

"I love it here at the moment and I'm glad I could repay the fans for how good they've been with me with a goal to take us to Wembley."

Sunday's win has seen the Championship game at Neil Warnock's Huddersfield Town rearranged.

The match will now take place on Wednesday, May 3 at 7.45pm.

The date and time of their semi-final is still to be confirmed but it seems most likely to be April 22.