Rhian Brewster’s Derby County situation raises awkward question for Sheffield United | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield United Fan Pundit has weighed in on the decision to let Rhian Brewster go in the summer.

Rhian Brewster has had an excellent first season with Derby County, and he has been vital to their play-off push, with the versatile attacker playing a starring role against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon at Pride Park.

Facing Sheffield United's rivals, he picked up the assist for the opener as the Rams looked to close the gap to Wrexham, who were in FA Cup action at home to Premier League giants Chelsea. It was his second assist of the season, and his fifth goal involvement in his last seven games.

The 25-year-old joined Derby from the Blades in the summer after his contract at Bramall Lane expired, and he made the switch to the East Midlands on a free. It has proven to be quite the deal for John Eustace, and he has been a breath of fresh air on either wing, as well as in a more central position when needed.

However, there were some questions asked by a section of supporters in S2 about Brewster's exit in the summer, especially given a fee was not recouped, and his impact against his ex-club's rivals will surely be raising a few eyebrows.

Sheffield United may have some regrets about letting Rhian Brewster go

The former Liverpool forward spent five years with the Blades after joining the club in October 2020 for a reported £23.5m, but he struggled to find any consistency in front of goal, as well as struggling with injuries throughout his time with the club.

However, when asked if the South Yorkshire outfit may regret letting Brewster's contract expire last summer, Football League World's Sheffield United Fan Pundit, Jimmy from the Blades Ramble YouTube channel, told FLW: "You can certainly argue that point and that's probably fair.

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. You could maybe even make the same argument about selling Kieffer Moore this season. You never really know until they go.

"I think it was time for Brewster to have new surroundings and maybe that's been part of his reinvigoration as a striker. But I don't think a lot of us doubted his ability. It was just whether he could stay fit or not."

Jimmy continued: "I have to say I'm delighted for him. Derby have got themselves a good player there, certainly on a free, very low risk for them, and I'm glad to see him doing well. I wish we had got the same return from him really.

"Ben Brereton Diaz as well...I think there's a chance we could see him in a Sheffield United shirt again at some stage.

"I always want to see former Blades players doing well, unless it's directly impacting us. So fair play to the lads, and apart from when they're playing Sheffield United, I wish them all the best."

Rhian Brewster has had his best scoring season since 2019/20 at Derby County

Brewster has never been the natural finisher that many perhaps expected him to be after coming through the ranks at Liverpool. However, this season, he has shown a level of quality in the final third that he never truly had at Sheffield United.

He has scored six goals in the league this season, and before the victory over Sheffield Wednesday, he had found the back of the net in each of his last three games at Pride Park.

However, for Sheffield United, Brewster never truly found that level of consistency. In his best scoring season, he fired the ball in just four times, with those strikes coming in the 2024/25 campaign. Therefore, a fresh start was needed.

Blades supporters must be wondering why they were not able to get the most out of the 25-year-old as his new side continue to battle for a play-off finish, but Brewster is in their past now, and unless he's directly coming up against United, then they do not need to worry much about him.