Following on from the speculation yesterday that Sheffield United were close to agreeing a new extended contract with centre-half Jack O’Connell, earlier today, the club confirmed that the deal had been signed.
The 24-year-old defender has become largely a mainstay in manager Chris Wilder’s squad following his arrival from Brentford back in the summer of 2016, and he’s already made over 130 appearances in our shirt across all competitions. With 100 consecutive starts before a recent hamstring injury sidelined him, his importance to the side cannot be questioned.
The player has now signed new terms at Bramall Lane keeping him with us until the summer of 2023, and it’ll be another significant boost for fans as we turn our attentions to Monday evening’s Steel City derby with Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Speaking about the extension, Wilder told the Official Site.
“It’s another boost that Jack has pledged his long-term future here and we are all delighted. He’s been a big part of the past and will play a big part in the future for us. It backs up our commitment of rewarding the players who have served us well and ones that we believe will continue to grow with the club.”
O’Connell is the most recent of a raft of contract extensions at the club as Wilder continues to look towards the future – and hopefully a Premier League future – following the deals already signed by David McGoldrick, Enda Steven and Billy Sharp in recent weeks.