Sheffield United: Vini Souza footage acts as a reminder not to judge too early | OneFootball

Sheffield United midfielder Vini Souza was serenaded by supporters in a local pub after his side's 1-0 win over local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

It was the perfect afternoon for Sheffield United last Sunday afternoon, as they secured a 1-0 win over local rivals Sheffield Wednesday at Bramall Lane.

With the Steel City pair now back in the same division for the first time in over five years, the return of the bitter rivalry was hotly anticipated, but it was a tight opening to the game with chances at a premium, and Wednesday arguably edged the first 45 minutes.

However, United came out strongly after the break, and they produced the only moment of real quality in the game in the 50th minute when Tyrese Campbell fired home after a well-worked set piece to seal all three points and the local bragging rights.

The victory moved the Blades back up to second in the table, and they head into the November international break level on points with leaders Sunderland, but they would be top had they not received a two-point deduction at the start of the season.

The celebrations in the red half of Sheffield went on long into the night, and footage of manager Chris Wilder enjoying the win with supporters went viral on social media, but while he received much of the acclaim after masterminding his side's derby success, midfielder Vini Souza was also serenaded in a local pub, as shown in the clip below.

The video underlines just how much of a turnaround in fortunes Souza has experienced this season after a tough first year at Bramall Lane, and his situation perhaps acts as a reminder that players should not be written off too early.

Vini Souza's remarkable Sheffield United turnaround

United spent much of their relatively limited budget on Souza following their promotion to the Premier League in the summer of 2023, with the 25-year-old making a £10 million move from Belgian side Lommel - who are part of the City Football Group, and have an eye for a talented player.

Souza scored one goal in 38 appearances in all competitions last season, which isn't the end of the world given he is a defensive midfielder, but despite the fact that he was a regular starter under both Wilder and his predecessor Paul Heckingbottom, he struggled to win over Blades supporters with his general performances.

In Souza's defence, he was playing in a team that achieved a dismal total of just 16 points all season and conceded 104 goals, which was a top flight record, so it was difficult for him to show his quality.

While Souza was not viewed particularly favourably by the United fan base, it seems his performances did catch the eye of other clubs, and he was the subject of a £15 million bid from Fulham this summer, while Italian giants AC Milan were also said to have been interested in the Brazilian.

It was widely assumed that Souza would depart Bramall Lane following relegation, and there would likely have been plenty of Blades supporters hoping for that outcome, but to the surprise of many, he remained in South Yorkshire.

Wilder will certainly be delighted he managed to keep hold of Souza as he has enjoyed an outstanding start to the season, cementing himself as one of the first names on the team sheet, and as shown by Sunday's evidence, he is starting to become a firm fan favourite.

Souza put in another committed performance at the heart of United's midfield in the Steel City derby, and he assumed the captain's armband in the second half after Oliver Arblaster was forced off due to injury.

Sunday's celebrations were the latest step in Souza rebuilding his relationship with United supporters, and the midfielder's transformation has not gone unnoticed by Wilder, who compared his redemption to that of former defender Jack O'Connell.

"He got plenty of abuse, and the team did at the start of that campaign because we didn't get out of the traps and three losses out of four wasn't good enough for Sheffield United," Wilder told The Star earlier this month.

"And I understood that more than anyone. Jack was new to the group and gave a penalty against Millwall, had a nightmare against Southend and it wasn’t the best of starts for Jack.

"But to go and have the career he had was incredible. One of the best left-sided centre-halves in the Premier League at that moment and I got a call from Gareth Southgate regarding England, and asking what do you think? And we all said yes, 100 per cent. It didn’t materialise and the rest is history but certainly, Vini's turnaround is all credit to the boy and all down to him, 100 per cent.

"[In the summer] he could quite easily have said: ‘I've signed in the Premier League and want to play there,’ banging doors and moaning and groaning to agents. But from the first day, he's been absolutely outstanding and his performances have been incredible. He's a real leader, a popular boy and a huge player for us.

"The supporters recognise that, most importantly. When you talk about supporters and their attitude to players, they're not far off. The majority, if not all, are not far off on Kieffer Moore. A couple have to take their time to win supporters over, but Vini’s reception and the accolades he’s receiving are deserved and are all credit to him."

As Wilder said, O'Connell endured a tough start to his Blades career, but he went on to score nine goals and provide 11 assists in 177 games for the club before suffering a career-ending knee injury in 2020, winning two promotions during that time.