Heneghan and Thomas can feel harshly done by Wilder’s transfer list decision

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Sheffield United transfer listed a number of players at the end of the season.

Sheffield United are set for an important summer after securing manager Chris Wilder to a new three-year deal, with the Blades boss no doubt expecting investment to aid his cause.

The Blades will be looking to bring in new signings this summer, but a host of players are also poised to leave the club this summer as part of a post-season re-jig at Bramall Lane.

After the season finished, United released Clayton Donaldson and Chris Hussey, whilst George Long, Ben Heneghan, Louis Reed, Nathan Thomas, Samir Carruthers, Caolan Lavery and James Hanson were all transfer listed.

Some of those decisions from Wilder make sense; Carruthers looks primed for a move to Oxford United under his former MK Dons boss Karl Robinson whilst striker Hanson even went 17 games without a goal with Bury following a January loan move.

However, if two players can feel hard done by, it’s centre back Heneghan and attacking midfielder Thomas, who have barely been given a chance since joining the club last summer.

Heneghan starred with Motherwell in Scotland, but made just one appearance for the Blades, and that came in January’s FA Cup tie against Preston, with Wilder clearly unconvinced.

The 24-year-old’s only first-team experience came in non-league football and with Motherwell in Scotland, meaning a lengthy adjustment period to Championship football wouldn’t have been a surprise, and yet the giant defender is being offloaded already without even really being given a chance.

The same goes for playmaker Thomas, an arrival from Hartlepool last summer. The 23-year-old has been a nomad in the lower leagues but hit two goals in three games for United before being farmed out to Shrewsbury Town, where he impressed in the second half of the season.

The two players are still young and have untapped potential, and it feels like Wilder is giving up on the pair far too soon, offloading them after just a year at Bramall Lane with a combined four appearances between them.