Rhian Brewster has been all smiles this past week after returning to action in a red and white shirt. He is one of the bubbliest characters in the Sheffield United dressing room anyway, but these last few days in particular have given him even more reason for cheer.
The 23-year-old put an 11-month injury nightmare behind him when he took to the pitch against West Ham. London-born, the former Liverpool striker had friends and family in the stands to watch as he took to the London Stadium pitch.
He remains the club’s record signing following his big-money move from Anfield but his career at Bramall Lane is yet to really take off despite flirting with such either side of two serious hamstring injuries. However, there’s a new look and a determination about him to finally repay the faith and help Sheffield United in their bid for Premier League survival.
The striker has lost weight and is looking lean and sharp. He’s also had to adjust his running pattern in a bid to ease the pressure on his hamstrings. Hard work on the training ground in getting back to this position he hopes will pave the way for him to get his Blades spell up and running.
“People have been behind me the fans, the gaffer and I want to repay the favour and keep the Bladesmen up,” he said. “You could say it hasn’t really started from a goals point of view, but for me, it’s just trying to get back to working hard and playing for the team.
“I think I’ve matured quite a bit in the three years I have been here. The gaffer has said he’s seen that on and off the pitch with recovery, taking on information during games and the way I play. For example, if I wasn’t in the team previously, I’d be angry and take it out during training.
“I wouldn’t do everything properly but now the gaffer says ‘you’re going to be angry you’re not in the team but what do you do from there?’ Ultimately if I’m training well then I’ll be the first one to come on and change the game.
“He will trust me if he knows I’m still taking on the information so ultimately it’s to help me but also the team. If I’m angry and not paying attention then the information that he might give to me on the Friday, and I do something different, then it could cost us the game then I can’t blame anyone but myself.”
There is a genuine belief that he can get firing. Under Paul Heckingbottom and first-team coach Jack Lester, Brewster showed two promising purple patches either side of his hamstring injuries to suggest that if anyone can get the striker performing it’s the current management team.
A stunning volley at Blackburn Rovers in one of Slavisa Jokanovic’s final games in charge was followed by the opening goal in Heckingbottom’s reign as permanent manager in the 2-0 win over Bristol City. He bagged again in the 2-0 win over Luton and three goals in the space of six Championship appearances looked promising.
However, disaster struck at Peterborough in January of that 2020-21 season when he suffered the first of his two hamstring setbacks, putting him out until August of the following season. He was working his way back into form once more and scored a well-taken goal at Stoke in a 3-1 defeat in October before the hamstring curse hit later that month at West Brom.
It was a huge blow but despite the 11 months on the sideline and despite the stop-start nature of his time at Bramall Lane, he has never once lost the confidence he gained from his spell on loan at Swansea or the form he showed in the junior ranks at Liverpool that paved the way for his move in the first place.
It would be great timing if Sheffield United were to benefit from that this season as they look to try and extend their stay in the Premier League. He added: “It’s hard when you’re sat watching on wishing that you can be the difference or be able to help the team in any way you can.
“But if you don’t have confidence in yourself who else is going to have confidence in you? I feel I can still, how I was at Swansea, Liverpool, and also England, I feel I can score some goals again and ultimately push on. That’s what I want to do.
“Once I get my first goal, I feel I can get quite a few more and push on to help the Bladesmen.”
Rhian Brewster version 2.0 is on a mission and everyone at Sheffield United is hoping this is the time when one of the club’s most likeable members finally gets the break he deserves, on and off the pitch. Like a new signing outside of a transfer window, he could have a huge part to play in their bid for Premier League survival.
