Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday have two standout stars from the Toulon Tournament in David Brooks and George Hirst.
England’s midfielder David Brooks celebrates after scoring during the Under 21 international football final match vs Ivory Coast.
Rivals Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday would have watched the 2017 Toulon Tournament with glee as each had a standout player in the Under-20 competition.
The Blades’ David Brooks was named the tournament’s best player, while Wednesday’s Hirst finished as joint topscorer with four goals in five matches.
David Brooks of Sheffield United and Josh Murphy of Norwich in action during the Sky Bet Championship match.
Since then, though, the two youngsters have made very different strides forwards with their respective clubs. Brooks was set to join Chesterfield on loan over the summer, but as Sky Sports reports manager Chris Wilder reversed the decision to watch the 20-year-old in pre-season to see if he could break into the first team.
The midfielder seized the opportunity and has already made 13 appearances in all competitions this term, earning himself a new five-year contract in the process amid speculation from the Mirror that Liverpool, Newcastle United and West Ham United were showing interest.
In contrast, across the city at Hillsborough the Sheffield Star has reported that Hirst – son of Owls legend David – has rejected a new deal and as a result has not been involved in either first team or development squad action.
Niclas Thiede of Germany and George Hirst of England compete for the ball during the U19 International match.
Everton and Leicester City have had failed bids for the 18-year-old and unlike Wilder, opposite number Carlos Carvalhal clearly does not see the attacker in his plans currently, saying: “He’s not a player who is involved with us. I’m the manager of the club but I’m not a person to do contracts and to talk about these things. It is something that is completely out of my orbit.”
Two youngsters at two huge Championship clubs and two very different approaches to how to use them following an impressive summer on the international stage.
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