The departure of John Fleck from Coventry City to Sheffield United in 2016 will have left the Sky Blues feeling envious.
The Scot moved between the two clubs during the summer transfer window as a free agent, with both participating in League One.
Coventry finished eighth in the table, three points ahead of the Blades in 11th place.
However, the advent of Chris Wilder as manager at Bramall Lane prompted Fleck to join, with the goal of challenging for promotion back to the Championship.
Fleck not only helped the Yorkshire club return to the second division, but he was also a member of the squad that won automatic promotion to the Premier League in 2019.
John Fleck’s promotion to the Premier League
Fleck quickly established himself as a crucial player for the Blades after joining Wilder’s squad in 2016.
The dynamic midfielder appeared 44 times in his first season at Bramall Lane, as the squad won League One.
Fleck was instrumental in Sheffield United’s promotion from 11th to second tier, scoring four goals and assisting 15 times.
Meanwhile, Coventry dropped to 23rd place in the table, being relegated to League Two barely 12 months after the player left for nothing. Sheffield United were already in the Premier League by the time the Sky Blues regained their Championship status under Mark Robins in 2020.
While the two teams ended up in the same level in 2021, and were even directly battling for promotion from the second tier in 2023, Coventry were unable to go to the first flight, losing in the play-off final to Luton Town.
Fleck made 65 Premier League games for Sheffield United over three seasons, culminating in a ninth-place finish in 2020 under Wilder.
Sheffield United received their money’s worth from the Fleck purchase.
Sheffield United performed quite well by signing Fleck as a free agent in 2016.
Coventry lost out badly and will be envious of the success he had after moving ship that summer.
The midfielder established himself as a Premier League player, particularly during the 2019/20 season, when he scored five goals and assisted twice in 30 league appearances.
| John Fleck – Sheffield United league goals and appearances (per Fbref.com) | ||||
| Season | Appearances (Starts) | Goals (Assists) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 44 (41) | 4 (15) | ||
| 2017-18 | 41 | 2 (7) | ||
| 2018-19 | 45 | 2 (10) | ||
| 2019-20 | 30 (28) | 5 (2) | ||
| 2020-21 | 31 (29) | 0 (2) | ||
| 2021-22 | 35 (31) | 1 (2) | ||
| 2022-23 | 26 (14) | 1 (1) | ||
| 2023-24 | 4 (1) | 0 | ||
Sheffield United were in contention for European qualification before to the epidemic, which shut down football for three months.
While the Blades struggled for form after the game’s resumption, the pinnacle of their Premier League career was still an extraordinarily memorable journey for fans, and Fleck played a significant role.
He demonstrated excellent market value, the type of deal that Sheffield United would love to achieve again.
Fleck eventually departed Sheffield United in 2024 to join Blackburn Rovers, but his influence on the club over his seven years at Bramall Lane made him a player that fans will not forget anytime soon.
Leave a Reply