Sheffield United never got the best out of ex-Blade wanted by Man Utd and Man City: View | OneFootball

Diego De Girolamo was an incredibly hot prospect as a youngster, but Sheffield United never managed to get the best out of him.

Sheffield United once had a wonderkid on the books, but Diego De Girolamo did not quite live up to expectations.

The 2012/13 campaign saw Sheffield United playing League One football as they looked to return to the Championship after falling short in the play-off final the season prior.

The Blades were once again finding themselves in and among the play-off race but eventually lost their semi-final at the end of the season, meaning they would be playing in the third tier for another year.

Sheffield United's 2012/13 season also saw the debut of a player who was once touted as a wonderkid, but now finds himself in step two of non-league.

In February 2013, the Blades faced up against Colchester United in League One, and in the 90th minute, 17-year-old Diego De Girolamo entered the pitch to make his league debut. It was a moment to remember for the young Italian who assisted the game's final goal to give his side the 3-0 victory.

It seemed that the world was his oyster at that age, especially with Premier League interest surrounding him, but unfortunately it did not turn out that way, and his career seemingly spiralled.

Man Utd, Man City and Arsenal all targeted Diego De Girolamo

De Girolamo joined Sheffield United at just seven-years-old, and when he became old enough for senior football, a lot of hype surrounded his name. Before making his Sheffield United debut, he was reportedly being monitored by Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal, while he was playing for Italy at youth level.

Despite this interest, De Girolamo signed his first professional contract with Sheffield United, who were most likely thrilled to have such a hot prospect on their books.

Shortly after his league debut, the young forward unfortunately suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his knee while playing for Italy at youth level, which is arguably one of the worst things to happen to a player at that stage of their career.

De Girolamo spent nine months on the sidelines but sadly failed to really hit the ground running upon his return and was sent out on loan to prove himself. He would go on to spend three separate loan spells with League Two York City, where he initially scored three goals in four games, but this was his best goalscoring record of his EFL career.

It was then Northampton Town on loan for the young forward, but after just a handful of appearances and no goals, he returned to Bramall Lane, where he signed a new contract after declining the initial offer.

However, by May 2016, Chris Wilder placed De Girolamo on the transfer list, and he departed in June by mutual consent. It never quite worked out at Sheffield United for the Italian youth international, and the hype around his name sadly wore off rather quickly. Perhaps his injury played a big part in that.

Diego De Girolamo post-Sheffield United

In July 2016, De Girolamo signed for Bristol City, but just six months later he was sent out on loan to Cheltenham Town and then Chesterfield the following season.

He unfortunately never started a game for Bristol City and eventually departed in January 2018. It was from there that De Girolamo fell into non-league, signing for Macclesfield and then Buxton FC, where he has become a popular figure in recent years.

The forward finally found a home at Buxton and has been scoring regular goals, albeit in non-league. He has scored a total of 25 goals in the last two seasons in the National League North, as well as a couple of goals in the FA Cup.

Of course, Diego De Girolamo and Sheffield United must wonder 'what if' after receiving all that Premier League interest, but he appears to be happy with Buxton at this moment in time.