Sheffield United star Sydie Peck fires cheeky Sheffield Wednesday dig after vaping claim | OneFootball

Sheffield United's Sydie Peck has responded to a shock vaping claim from a Sheffield Wednesday fan to poke fun at his side's Steel City rivals

There's never any love lost between fierce rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday at the best times, and it's the Blades who have dominated the Steel City's hotly-contested bragging rights in recent times.

Fortune and fate meant that Chris Wilder's side were the ones to mathematically confirm Sheffield Wednesday's long-awaited relegation from the Championship back in February, which marked the earliest demotion in English Football League history.

It was, of course, inevitable that the Owls would drop into the third-tier before a ball was even kicked, with a cumulative 18 points deduction and a litany of perilous off-field crises putting the writing very much on the wall at Hillsborough.

To have relegation confirmed at Bramall Lane, however, was a nightmare for every Wednesdayite, as the Blades sealed a fourth straight derby day victory over their bitter rivals in unforgettable fashion.

The hosts won 2-1 on the afternoon, having won 3-0 at Hillsborough earlier on in the season after claiming slender 1-0 victories in the 2024/25 campaign's two editions of the Steel City derby.

There's no denying that the Blades, who themselves have endured an underwhelming campaign following last term's play-off final defeat to Sunderland, are having the last laugh at Wednesday's expense right now - and popular midfielder Sydie Peck was quick to point that out in response to a shock claim on social media.

Sheffield United's Sydie Peck fires Sheffield Wednesday dig after vaping claim

Peck has featured in each of Sheffield United's last four Steel City derby outings, starting three of those and starring in the aforementioned 2-1 victory last month.

The 21-year-old enjoys contrasting levels of popularity either side of the Steel City divide, and while the Bramall Lane faithful admire him, he's hardly well-liked among Wednesdayites.

One Wednesday supporter recently took to X to photograph a man who was claimed to have been denied the purchase of an elf bar (disposable vape). This individual was claimed to be Peck, with the post alleging that the Blades star was even using his Instagram profile as ID after seeing his efforts to buy a vape rejected.

The post in question tagged both Peck and Sheffield United too, and Wednesdayites gathered in the comments to poke fun at the midfielder. Though it could be said that the individual could be mistaken for Peck from behind, the midfielder quickly bit back to deny such claims and sneak in a cheeky Wednesday dig in the process.

After seeing the post, Peck responded: "Not true at all mate I don't smoke vapes, the only thing I smoke is 4 Sheff derbies😮‍💨."

Naturally, Peck's response garnered mixed reactions.

Blades supporters lapped up the starlet's willingness to give it back to Wednesday supporters, who then pointed out a flashpoint in the last encounter between the two sides in which he was gripped up by Owls midfielder Svante Ingelsson and claimed that he had been "caught out".

There have, of course, been instances of footballers purchasing and using vapes in the past, which is hardly a measure of both physical preservation and professionalism, although it seems unlikely that such an instance has played out with Peck.

Sheffield United's Sydie Peck may not face Sheffield Wednesday for a while

Peck has clearly enjoyed himself when facing off against Wednesday in recent times, and it now remains unclear when the youngster's next rodeo will be.

Wednesday, of course, have already been relegated, and while there is renewed optimism and hope in that corner of the Steel City amid David Storch's proposed long-awaited takeover of the Owls, they are set to begin the following League One campaign on -15 points which sparks questions about how long the rebuilding process to get the club back into the Championship may take.

In the meantime, though it would require something extraordinary for Sheffield United to bridge an ever-increasing gap between themselves in 15th place and the top-six at this late stage, Peck has emerged as a hot property in recent times and could be on the move before long.

The Blades man was linked with Premier League pair Brentford and West Ham United late last year, and that interest can only be expected to re-emerge after what has been yet another impressive individual campaign concludes.

There's also the fact that United's parachute payments will run out going into next season, which could necessitate a sale of a high-value asset such as Peck.

Therefore, with Peck potentially heading to the top-flight without the Blades while Wednesday may simply be looking to survive in their first season back in League One, it may be some time before he faces off against the Owls - be that in red-and-white or elsewhere.