23-year-old Ready For Breakout Season; Admits Sheffield United New System Suits Him “To A Tee” | OneFootball

After a frustrating, injury-hit 2024/25 season that curtailed his momentum just as he began to show flashes of his true potential, Femi Seriki is heading into the 2025/26 Championship campaign hoping to be a mainstay in the Sheffield United team.

The 23-year-old right-back is one of the young players tipped to thrive under new head coach Ruben Selles, whose high-intensity, front-foot style seems tailor-made for Seriki’s physical profile.

Seriki caught the eye last season with his raw pace, willingness to drive forward in attack, and his ability to recover defensively to nullify opposition threats. But injuries prevented him from stringing together a sustained run of games.

With a full pre-season behind him and positive early performances, in the 2-1 friendly win over Burton Albion, the signs suggest that the Blades academy product is finally ready to make a serious impact at first-team level.

Sheffield United Right-back Looking Forward to New Season And Style of Play

In a recent interview with SUTV following that victory, Seriki spoke about what’s ahead for both the team and himself with the Championship season ready to get underway in a couple of weeks time.

“It’s definitely a different style of play; a lot of intensity, a lot of running and a lot of pressing. But it’s good, I’m enjoying it,” he said. “It’s been tough but it’s been good. I’d say it suits me to a tee.”

The attacking responsibilities being placed on full-backs under Selles look set to benefit Seriki significantly. “Me, Harrison [Burrows], Sam [McCallum], the other Sam [Curtis], full-backs being on the front foot. I’m enjoying it,” he continued. “For us, it’s about knowing when to press, when to get to a man and then obviously shuffling as a back four, making sure we’re not leaving ourselves too exposed and getting the right timing.”

In the system the Spaniard is implementing, full-backs must be technically sound, tactically sharp, and physically relentless, all areas where Seriki has shown promise over the last two or three seasons. But now, he must turn that promise into consistency. Of course, staying injury free would help his case.

What the Stats Say About Femi Seriki

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 10: Anthony Musaba of Sheffield Wednesday has a shot blocked by Femi Seriki of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC at Bramall Lane on November 10, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Seriki made 25 appearances in the second tier, though only eight of those were starts. Looking at his stats on Fbref compared to Championship full-backs from last season (based on over 1000 minutes played), he stacks up very well. He ranks in the 99th percentile for aerial duels success rate, 81st percentile for dribblers tackled success rate, and one stat that Selles might particularly like: 96th percentile for tackles in the middle third.

Offensively, Seriki could potentially be unstoppable. He uses his speed, power, agility and trickery to get away from his opponent, ranking highly in: progressive carries (95th percentile), take-on attempts (97th percentile), successful take-ons (97th percentile) and carries into the penalty area (99th percentile).

He’s also a threat creatively, averaging over 2.5 shot-creating actions per 90 (88th percentile) as well as ranking in the 76th percentile for expected assists per 90.

Seriki’s ceiling is sky high and the Blades need to hope he can avoid injuries this season, especially considering he’s the only current right-back in the first-team.