Sheffield United: Derby County raid is a criminally underrated piece of business outside of Bramall Lane | OneFootball

The midfielder was excellent during his time in S2 after leaving the Rams.

As with many managers who leave one EFL club for another, Nigel Clough set about raiding players that had played for Derby County after joining Sheffield United in 2013.

Kieron Freeman, Jay McEverley and John Brayford were all brought to Bramall Lane at various points throughout the 2014/15 campaign, Clough's first full season in charge of the Blades.

While the three had varying degrees of success in S2 during their time at the club, there can be no denying the impact that another former Rams player had after making the short journey up the M1 to Yorkshire.

Paul Coutts was signed from Derby themselves in January 2015 on a two-and-a-half year deal, joining alongside Freeman who had seen himself out of favour at Pride Park following the arrival of Steve McClaren over a year prior.

Coutts had faced a significant period of time out of the first-team squad due to a dislocated kneecap in September 2013, and a fresh start at Sheffield United was exactly what he needed.

Paul Coutts had an instant impact at Bramall Lane for Sheffield United

While he had always shown signs of promise with the Rams, he never quite lived up to expectations, with injuries the lasting memory for most supporters from his time at the club.

The 2012/13 season was one when he was a creative force, but his knee issue in the next campaign saw his time in black-and-white come to a sobering end.

Nevertheless, he was offered the chance to impress elsewhere under a manager that had already signed him once before, and it did not take long for Coutts to show his talents, registering an assist in just his third game as a Blade.

The Aberdeen-born man had a great impact on the team, and was a consistent presence in the middle of the park for Clough's Sheffield United, helping them to a 5th place finish in League One.

While there was a lot of excitement building, the play-offs did not bring the success that fans had hoped for, with the Blades taking part in one of the most remarkable games in the EFL's history, as they were beaten 7-6 on aggregate by Swindon Town.

Paul Coutts continued to be an underrated success at Sheffield United

While those outside the club perhaps did not see what Coutts brought to the Blades, those in South Yorkshire did, and after Clough departed following his failure to get the team promoted, Nigel Adkins came in to take charge of the team.

What followed was an extremely disappointing season, one that ended with United out of the top six, down in 11th.

Chris Wilder was the next man to take charge of the team, a decision that resulted in one of the greatest periods in the club's recent history.

Coutts excelled under Wilder, scoring his first four Sheffield United goals, and picking up eight assists in all competitions as the Blades finally won promotion back to the Championship in dominant fashion.

Promotion was no less than the midfielder deserved after giving tirelessly to the club throughout his two-and-a-half years, and he was awarded with a new two-year deal, securing his future until 2019.

He played a large role in the first few months of the Championship season, but a broken leg that he suffered against Burton Albion saw his campaign end early. Coutts did not return for another year, playing a bit-part role as the Blades finished 2nd behind Norwich City, winning promotion to the Premier League just two years after playing in the third tier.

While the likes of Billy Sharp and David McGoldrick were given the limelight throughout the late 2010s at Sheffield United, it cannot be understated the impact that Coutts had on his former club, and without his stability in midfield they would not have had the success that they did have.