Sheffield United deal for ex-Blackpool star may never be beaten - is he the club's best in recent times? | OneFootball

Chris Basham spent a memorable decade with Sheffield United between 2014 and 2024. Is the defender the Blades' best signing in recent times?

Defensive player Chris Basham left Sheffield United over the summer, opting to retire after spending a successful decade at Bramall Lane in which he played almost 400 games for the club.

The 36-year-old, who played as a central defender or a holding midfielder for much of his career, decided to hang up his boots after struggling to recover from a broken leg picked up last year.

It brought a slightly premature end to the stay of a modern-day Blades legend, one who arrived on a free transfer from Blackpool in 2014 and has played a major part in some memorable United achievements in the ten years since.

Starting out in the youth setup at Newcastle United, Basham moved to Bolton Wanderers in 2006, before the 6' 3" defender had loan spells at non-league Stafford Rangers and League Two club Rochdale respectively, eventually making his Trotters debut in late 2008.

Bolton were a Premier League outfit at that time, and Basham struggled for consistent game-time, ultimately making 21 appearances for the Lancashire club, before joining county rivals Blackpool in the summer of 2010, as the Tangerines prepared for life in the top-flight themselves, following their memorable promotion under Ian Holloway.

While Blackpool's stay at the highest level lasted just a year, Basham would spend a further three at Bloomfield Road, proving to be a reliable, versatile performer during his time on the West Coast.

The Hebburn-born man moved closer to home in 2014, joining Nigel Clough's Sheffield United side ahead of their upcoming League One campaign after the expiry of his Blackpool contract.

While Clough and his successor, Nigel Adkins, couldn't quite get it right in the Bramall Lane dugout, Basham became an important player for a Blades side desperate for a return to the upper echelons of the English game.

That rise began in 2017, as United, now under the stewardship of Chris Wilder, returned to the Championship after winning the League One title.

Over the next six years, the big defender became one of the first names on the team-sheet as the Blades were promoted to the top-flight twice, the first of which saw Basham and his colleagues cause many an upset, before suffering relegation after two years at the highest level.

The second spell in the Premier League was even briefer, as they struggled throughout and finished rock bottom of the table. It proved a disappointing one for Basham on a personal level, too, with the serious injury picked up in October's (2023) clash with Fulham ultimately bringing a premature end to his professional career.

Despite some setbacks along the way, the big defenders' time with the South Yorkshire club is fondly remembered by Blades supporters, who appreciated Basham's endeavour, commitment, character, reliability and versatility during some successful times at Bramall Lane.

Wilder and other United managers were also acutely aware of the former Bolton player's importance to the group, resulting in him regularly being given the captain's armband to lead by example.

All the above factors combined mark him out as one of the club's best signings in the modern era, but have the Blades made any better acquisitions in that time?

Sheffield United has been home to some top players recently

Sheffield United have had more good times than bad over the last ten years or so, and in doing so, have had many top players grace the Bramall Lane turf.

Basham became a favourite among supporters for his consistency in multiple roles over that time, while the likes of midfielders Michael Doyle, John Fleck, Olliver Norwood and John Lundstrum have made huge contributions with their drive and tenacity in midfield in recent years.

England international goalkeeper Dean Henderson also made a seismic impact during his consecutive season-long loans from Manchester United between 2018 and 2020, which coincided with two hugely successful years for the club.

While forward Iliman Ndiaye made the Blades a large profit when the youngster, who United picked up from non-league Boreham Wood in 2019, joined French footballing heavyweights Marseille, who paid a reported £17m for the Senegalese attacker in 2023.

Some of the above have justifiable claims to be thought of as Sheffield United's best signings in recent times, though perhaps not to the extent Basham does, in terms of value for money and overall contribution on the field of play.

One man that Blades fans may feel tops the list, however, is striker Billy Sharp, who spent three spells with the Bramall Lane outfit, becoming one of the EFL's most prolific goalscorers of the modern era by scoring 129 goals for his boyhood club.

Sharp and Basham are both United legends. Who made the bigger contribution is open to individual opinions, but, for differing reasons, the pair are among some of the Blades' best signings since the turn of the century.

Basham reached his peak during 2019/20 season

While team titles always take precedence over individual awards, being selected for personal honours by your peers and supporters speaks volumes for a players' importance and how much they are valued.

Basham was awarded both Players and Supporters Player of the Year accolades for the 2019/20 season, a campaign that saw the Blades finish in the top-half of the Premier League.

In his early thirties at that point, Basham had reached his physical peak, and helped his side compete superbly with the English footballing elite.

However, while that was the very pinnacle of Basham's time with the club, and his career on the whole, he maintained very high standards of professionalism and performance throughout his entire ten-year tenure at Bramall Lane, and is surely comfortably in Sheffield United's top three signings in recent memory.