Talk about going to bat for one of your players.
And throwing shade at other people at the same time, so it’s a pretty damning statement all things considered.
It’s no secret that Oliver Norwood has been a crucial part of the squad since he first arrived in the summer of 2018. Being a near ever-present in the side that gained promotion last season, and taking on a major role in the team this campaign leading the team in both average passes and key passes per game.
Speaking in an interview with The Star after he signed his new deal, Blades boss Chris Wilder spoke about the importance of the Northern Irish midfielder, and how he intended to treat him better than he had been by the previous clubs that he’d been at:
“He’ll be delighted he was given the opportunity to play Premier League football after being binned twice by Fulham and Brighton. He was never going to get binned by me, he was brilliant for us in the Championship and he has been outstanding for us in the Premier League.”
I’ve spoken before in more depth about how important Norwood is for the club, but now the question turns to how important he is going to be in the future for the club.
He is clearly the sort of player that you can build a team around tactically, but does his role extend beyond just what he can do on the pitch?
Should Norwood be the club's captain next season?
Yes
No
Considering he’s taken the armband for the majority of games this season whilst Billy Sharp takes a step back. With Sharp taking on a more reduced role for the side, and potentially doing so next year as he gets another year older, do you think it’s time that we officially transition Norwood into the first-team captain?
Let me know what you think.