Daniel Jebbison boost as Sheffield United see off brief Wednesday challenge to seal remarkable achievement

Sheffield United’s U21s sealed another Professional Development League title this afternoon in fine style as they hammered Crewe Alexandra 6-0 at Chesterfield’s home stadium. The game saw the return of Daniel Jebbison to a United teamsheet for the first time this season but it was teammates Ryan One and Louie Marsh who led the way with a brace apiece as United romped to the league title, for the fourth season in a row.

The sight of Jebbison in a United shirt again would have been a welcome one for first-team boss Chris Wilder, who remains hopeful that the England youth international will put pen-to-paper on a new deal ahead of his current contract expiring in the summer. Jebbison, Wilder has reported, sees his future at Bramall Lane but with every passing day uncertainty grows amongst the fanbase whether he will feature in the United first-team again.

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Jebbison, who has not played all season due to a combination of a pre-season blood clot issue and then various fitness problems, was withdrawn at the break in a planned move as his minutes are managed and could have marked his return with a goal, heading wide from close range after a good right-wing cross picked him out in the middle.

But it was a handy run-out for the England U20 man, ahead of a potential return to the senior Blades squad for their last two games of the season against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur. Teammates Marsh and One, who have both had small tastes of first-team football for United already this campaign, also did their hopes of a potential chance with two goals apiece, with Sam Curtis and young Archie Christie-Crainie also on target.

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One, the Scottish U19 youngster who has enjoyed a superb debut season at United following his move from Hamilton Academical last summer, got the ball rolling with a poked finish before Marsh, who scored a screamer recently in a mini-derby win over Wednesday, repeated the feat with another long-range effort that bounced off the post and into the back of the Crewe net.

Both men doubled their tally in the second half, after Curtis had made it 3-0 with a neat finish after a marauding run from his position at right centre-half. Marsh finished well into the far corner for 4-0 after United won the ball back high, his last action before being replaced, and One raced onto a good through-ball from Owen Hampson to make it five.

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There was still time for a sixth as One unselfishly squared for Christie-Crainie rather than try and bag the matchball, the youngster gleefully accepting the gift. Victory saw United taste the title once again and see off a brief challenge from their city rivals Wednesday, ahead of the play-offs where the Blades will try to crown a good season with the national title.

In the long-term, four successive titles will raise more question marks about the standard of competition for United’s young stars and the upgrade to a category one academy, once the United first-team have completed their move to a new training facility in Dore, will only help. In the meantime, the young Blades can only beat who is in front of them - and they have made a pretty good fist of that once again. Next stop, the play-offs.