‘Gamechanger’ - Sander Berge’s Sheffield United importance underlined ahead of Middlesbrough clash

Sander Berge’s importance to the Sheffield United cause has been underlined again, after the Norwegian international was described as a “gamechanger” by boss Paul Heckingbottom ahead of United’s crunch clash against Middlesbrough on Wednesday night.

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The Blades go into that game looking to extend their current 10-point lead over Michael Carrick’s men in the race for promotion, with Berge looking, on a personal level, for his third goal in as many games.

Utilised as a sitting midfielder before making the move to Bramall Lane, the Norwegian has been transformed into a rampaging box-to-box midfielder in South Yorkshire and when fully fit and firing, possesses the raw physical attributes to make him a real handful for any defender in the second tier.

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“He’s been fantastic,” said boss Heckingbottom of the 24-year-old, who shrugged off recent deadline-day interest to declare himself happy at Bramall Lane.

“I never hear about his 60-yard recovery run to make a tackle on the edge of the box or stopping a lad from scoring. It’s more sexy when he makes a 40-yard dash forward and slots it in the bottom corner. In every game he’s been in those positions where he’s scored in the last two games and it’s either not fallen for him or there’s been a block. So there’s been no difference in his performance.

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“In terms of his fitness, his approach, where he is on the pitch ... he’s been exactly the same. He’s learning, when I speak to him he’s learning different parts of football and his game.

“He was very much a six or one of two sixes when he came and we started moving him further and further forward, sometimes he played as an out and out 10 or one of two. We’ve been speaking about that and the different types of things you have to learn and be better at that in that role.

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“One thing we don’t want to do is put the shackles on him. His athleticism and his power and his quality going forward are very good. He can be a game-changer if we get him in that area of the pitch.

“But if we haven’t got the ball or we’re in transition we still expect him to do that bit as well. So there’s been bits added, definitely. We spoke about the goals and then they started coming, which is great. But if you go further back than that, a couple of years ago, how he wins the ball has improved no end as well.”

Berge impressed coaching staff and teammates alike with his focus during the transfer window, when he appeared set to leave Bramall Lane after being left out of the trip to Wrexham while the Blades’ hierarchy discussed moves elsewhere with Premier League clubs.

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In the end he stayed after a dramatic deadline-day U-turn from the Blades board, with no real concerns about his attitude after being denied a lucrative move elsewhere.

“He’s simple to manage, he’s very professional and driven,” Heckingbottom added. “He’s been pulled in training before, but not for coasting. The thing with Sander and his style ... I had a go at him once for not sprinting and I looked back and he’d been the fastest and covered the most distance.

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“So maybe I got that wrong. Physically, he’s fantastic. People think he’s quick until they try to run alongside him. You won’t catch him. Not at all. And he’s got too much to his game to not try and get it all out.

“He understands it’s on the pitch, it’s the players who get themselves a move. If they get distracted and performances drop, not behaving in a way that makes them attractive to other clubs, they won’t get the move.

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“But anyone who asked me about Sander, I don’t think there’d be a bad word about him. So he’s been great in that respect, as a person and a player he’s been fantastic. And he’s still young enough to get even better.”