David Prutton tips Sheffield United to be 'in the mix' for promotion

Sky Sports presenter David Prutton expects Sheffield United to be ‘in the mix’ for promotion in the Championship again next season. The Blades reached the play-off semi-finals last season and only narrowly missed out on the final courtesy of a penalty shoot-out defeat against Nottingham Forest.

United have strengthened their squad with the signings of Anel Ahmedhodzic, Ciaran Clark and Tommy Doyle this summer. And Prutton is certain that the Blades’ experience in the division will help them negotiate another promotion bid.

“Another one that I’ve got a lot of time for is Paul Heckingbottom for Sheffield United,” Prutton revealed on the

“I think your eyes are drawn to the three that have just come down from the Premier League. But the teams that were in the mix, such as Luton and Sheffield United, know what the division is about. They could also possibly operate with slightly less expectation than the other three that have come down.”

The former Southampton and Nottingham Forest midfielder also believes that it will be an important season for the likes of Oli McBurnie and Rhian Brewster. Sheffield United paid a combined £43.5m for the two forwards but both have failed to live up to their potential.

McBurnie has scored just twice in 55 matches across all competitions in the last two seasons, while Brewster has netted just four times in 46 appearances for the Blades.

This season will be make or break for both players and Prutton insists they’ll be determined to prove what they’re capable of in the Championship.

“They’ve had a good pre-season so far in terms of getting work into the players they’ve got,” Prutton said.

“Big, big names, the likes of McBurnie and Brewster, that are still working their way back up to being