John Egan hits big Sheffield United fitness milestone amid new Bramall Lane contract hope

John Egan is back on the grass at Sheffield United’s Shirecliffe training ground as the Blades skipper looks to earn a new contract at Bramall Lane. The Republic of Ireland international has not played since damaging his Achilles away at West Ham back in September.

The double promotion-winner is out of contract at the end of this month but the Blades’ retained list earlier this summer revealed they remain in “ongoing discussions” with the 31-year-old over his future, as well as a number of his teammates. As The Star revealed recently United are keen to see how Egan recovers from the injury before deciding whether to offer him a new deal, while the ongoing takeover saga at Bramall Lane has affected plans to keep teammate Oli McBurnie at Bramall Lane.

United promotion hero could enjoy Lane return ahead of transfer switch

Egan posted photos of him back in training at Shirecliffe on his Instagram account, with the ball at his feet and his thumb up. It is another big milestone for Egan as he plots his return - whether that’s at United or another club.

Speaking about his injury to the Independent earlier this year, Egan said: “I just went to sidestep and felt like someone kicked me down the back of my leg.” Egan asked West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola who it was. “He was like: ‘No one was next to you’, so I thought, ‘I’m probably in a bit of trouble here’.” Of his future and the possibility of leaving United, he said coyly back in April: “It’s part of the game. You could be somewhere for six months, you could be somewhere for six years. You just never know.

“It’s the longest I’ve spent at a club in England and we’ve had a lot of success. When I look back on my career so far, all my best moments were with United. We got promoted twice to the Premier League, had a great year the first year, I broke into the Ireland team while I was at United. I’ve loved every minute of it. It’s a fantastic club. The Premier League is where the club deserve to be.”