Sheffield United outline new Jamie Shackleton plan after squad decision on ex-Leeds United favourite
Sheffield United are taking a “medium-to-longer-term plan” with Jamie Shackleton’s fitness after the prospect of a return this season was essentially written off. The former Leeds United man was omitted from United’s 25-man squad submitted to the EFL for the second part of the season.
With the versatile 26-year-old having suffered a recent setback in his bid for fitness, at a time when United were short of options at right-back and in central midfield, and then subsequently bolstering those two areas in the transfer window, Shackleton was the unlucky Blade omitted from the Blades’ roster after the window closed.
The decision, while understandable, was the latest blow for a player who has played just 15 times for United since he arrived on a free transfer from Leeds in the summer of 2024, and just three times this season. His last appearance was as a 78th-minute substitute in United’s 3-2 defeat at Preston North End back in October.
There were hopes that a return was close around the turn of the year when he was pencilled in to return to training but those proved short-lived as Chris Wilder confirmed a fresh setback, before the EFL squad decision was officially made.
Sheffield United outline new Jamie Shackleton plan after squad decision on ex-Leeds United favourite
And speaking ahead of tomorrow’s trip to Portsmouth, the Blades boss said: “He's in and around the group. It's been a difficult period for Shacks but he's working his way back. We've talked about a medium to longer term plan with him now.
“So I think he's identified that maybe this season we're not really going to get anything from him, and we need to get him above a level. Maybe not just at that level where he's coming back and training and available.
“Maybe we need to go above that to make him physically more durable than maybe he has been over the last 18 months. He's been incredibly unlucky. The bang he took against Rotherham, in one of the early games in pre-season when he was in decent nick.
“I think everybody saw the qualities that Shacks brought to us, as a free transfer from Leeds United. A smart signing, what he did at Leeds.
“Unfortunately he got that injury he got at Rotherham and it's gone from there really. So we’re trying to get Shacks back to a situation where he comes back pre-season flying and can reignite his career here.”
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