LONDON – Sheffield United partied long into the night after clinching promotion back to the Premier League with a 2-0 win against West Bromwich Albion at a jubilant Bramall Lane on Wednesday.
Paul Heckingbottom’s side saw off West Brom thanks to goals from Sander Berge and Anel Ahmedhodzic, ensuring they earned the second automatic promotion spot behind Burnley in the Championship with three games to spare.
With six wins from their last seven games, Sheffield moved seven points clear of third-placed Luton, who have just two matches left.
The Blades were relegated from the top flight along with West Brom in 2021 and lost to Nottingham Forest in last season’s Championship play-off semi-finals.
But Heckingbottom, in his second season as Blades boss, has guided his club back into English football’s elite.
“I don’t think it will sink in for a while but I’m just determined to enjoy tonight and make sure everyone else enjoys tonight. It’s a shame we’ve got three more games left!” he said.
“But we’ve got to enjoy it, you enjoy every win and when it’s a win as special and significant as this, we are going to have a good time.”
Promotion will be worth up to £170 million (S$283 million) in increased revenues over the next three seasons for the Blades.
It is a well-earned reward for their consistency, with Heckingbottom’s men in the top two for much of the season.
They also reached this season’s FA Cup semi-finals, enjoying a shock fifth-round win over Tottenham before losing 3-0 to Manchester City at Wembley last Saturday.
It is the third time the Blades have been promoted to the Premier League, with each success coming via a second-placed finish in the Championship.
“We wanted to give back to the club and the fans. This club should be in the Premier League and now we are back to where we need to be,” Berge said.
“There are a lot of players good at partying, maybe even better than on the pitch. I think we will go into town probably.”
Blades defender John Egan added: “Memories for life with this bunch of lads. There’s not many places in football where you get such a tight-knit squad... and it shows on the pitch.”
Sheffield’s celebrations came 24 hours after Burnley wrapped up the Championship title with a 1-0 win at Blackburn.
Meanwhile, West Brom manager Carlos Corberan will be seeking a quick comeback when his ninth-placed side, who are just two points behind sixth-placed Sunderland, host Norwich in the Championship on Saturday.
The teams that finish third to sixth go into the play-offs for the final promotion spot.
AFP, REUTERS
