15 months ago, Leeds United fans were genuinely being told they had paid over the odds to sign Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United.
Bad results in the Premier League are undoubtedly going to see fans point fingers at decisions made by the ownership.
Recruitment gets called into question, but it’s worth remembering how well the club have done to overhaul the squad since the 49ers took over.
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Jamie Shackleton finally returns to Sheffield United squad after 308 days out
Last year, following a failure to secure promotion through the playoffs, Leeds’ rebuild entered stage two. With that came tough decisions and significant player exits.
One exit of a lower profile was Jamie Shackleton’s exit to Sheffield United on a free transfer. The versatile midfielder headed to South Yorkshire with the Blades aiming to hit the ground running back in the EFL.
Their free capture of Shackleton was viewed as a coup by Blades fans at the time, but availability issues have followed the 26-year-old to his new club.
Wilder, on his third stint at Bramall Lane, collected his second win since returning against Watford on Saturday, in which Shackleton made his long-awaited return to competitive senior action.
Jamie Shackleton’s most recent league start for Sheffield United came away at Elland Road against Leeds United, just over a year ago. (Action Images/Jason Cairnduff)
It was 308 days between appearances for Shackleton, and while it’s a huge boost for him to be back playing, it proves exactly why United were right to let him leave to a direct rival for nothing.
Leeds United’s capture of Jayden Bogle from Sheffield United looking even better
Ironically, when the Blades took Shackleton on a free, they also sanctioned Jayden Bogle’s move in the other direction in July 2024.
At the time, a £5million fee for Bogle was scoffed at by Blades fans. The South Yorkshire fanbase thought they’d fleeced Leeds into overpaying, as he was in the final year of his deal.
I implore you to go onto X and search “Bogle Shackleton” and find responses from when the deals were confirmed. You’ll see an alarming number thinking Leeds got the worse end of this deal.
Jayden Bogle has been a bargain for Leeds United since leaving Sheffield United. (Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers)
15 months later, Bogle is one of Leeds’ most consistent and most important players during a Premier League survival battle. Which comes after being the best in his position in the Championship.
In the Premier League this season, Bogle has made a handful of wide players look fairly ordinary. He’s limited these in-form players to very little down his side of the pitch:
Iliman Ndiaye, Everton
Tino Livramento, Newcastle United
Wilson Odobert, Spurs
Jaidon Anthony, Burnley
Add to that a clear importance in Leeds’ attack, and you have a well-balanced Premier League full-back all for £5million. The Blades fanbase’s comments could not have backfired more on Bogle.
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