Tyrese Campbell reveals what Chris Wilder said that made him...

Tyrese Campbell, a forward for Sheffield United, has openly discussed his discussion with manager Chris Wilder that

convinced him to sign for the Blades in the summer of 2024.

After eight years with Stoke City, Campbell was let go by the Potters at the end of the 2023–24 season. He told the

BBC’s 72+ EFL podcast that he had “a lot of offers on the table” after the Potters’ decision.

He made nearly 150 League games for Stoke, however at the end of the 2023–24 season, the Bet365 Stadium decided

he was surplus to requirements. Among the offers he got, however, it was one statement made by Wilder, the

manager of Sheffield United, that convinced Campbell to choose Bramall Lane.

According to Campbell, the BBC: “He sort of said to me that we had both been ridiculed and written off in our

careers, and he wanted to help me get to where he knew I could be, and he wanted to be the manager that does it for

me.”

Son of former Arsenal star Kevin Campbell, Tyrese started his career with the Manchester City Academy, but turned

down an offer from them to turn professional in the summer of 2016 in order to move to Stoke City with a fee agreed

at £1.75m. In February 2018, he made his debut for them in a Premier League game against Leicester City.

However, Stoke’s attempts to return to the Premier League have been continuously thwarted since they were

demoted at the end of that season. He moved to Shrewsbury Town during the January transfer window and played

half of the 2018–19 season on loan there. His five goals while on loan were sufficient to earn him a spot at Stoke the

following season.

Tyrese Campbell at Stoke City (Footystats)
Season	Appearances	Goals
2017/18	4	0
2018/19	3	0
2019/20	33	9
2020/21	16	6
2021/22	26	4
2022/23	41	9
2023/24	23	3

2019/20 was his best season with Stoke, but injuries halted his progression towards being one of the Championship’s

best strikers and a lack of football followed in the lead up to his release.

Campbell has had a renaissance in South Yorkshire

Campbell has gone on to have the most fruitful season in front of goal of his career so far since the move to Sheffield,

hitting 10 goals in 33 League games as the Blades chased promotion back to the Premier League.His prior best of

nine, which he achieved in the 2019–20 and 2022–23 seasons, was surpassed by that number. With a spot in the

playoffs to look forward to, Sheffield United finished third in the Championship behind Leeds United and Burnley,

the clear favourites.

Stoke, meanwhile, struggled during the 2024–25 season, much as they had for a large portion of Campbell’s tenure

with them. It is unlikely that he regrets the wisdom of his decision to transfer to Bramall Lane, and he still has a

chance to return to the Premier League through the play-offs, more than seven years after making his full debut.