Return of Brooks perfectly timed for the Blades

someone whose talents have really come to the fore this term.

Netting the winner at Leeds United in October was a big moment for Brooks but his display in the 4-2 thrashing of Steel City rivals Wednesday a month earlier was perhaps when he truly announced himself to the rest of the Championship.

Either way, Wilder’s decision to pull the plug on a proposed loan move to Chesterfield for Brooks last summer has been proved to be the right one.

“He (Brooks) is someone I first became aware of when Nigel Adkins was in charge,” said Basham. “He brought ‘Brooksy’ in at first, probably two or three years ago.

“I could see straight away he had something. Last year, he was more involved with us and we knew it wouldn’t be long until he stepped up permanently.

“I felt going out on loan would be really good for him because it would bring regular games. I felt he would rip League Two up. But then the loan was cancelled and, since then, he has been involved with us all the time.

“He was outstanding from the bench. And when he started at Sheffield Wednesday, he was a breath of fresh air to play with.

“I get the impression he has been missing football a lot due to the illness. We definitely missed him, as he made such an impact for us in the Championship.

“It was a bit of a killer to lose