Basham astounded by honours from Blades and Shearer

CHRIS BASHAM says Sheffield United’s squad might never be able to celebrate their incredible 2019- 20, and he was “astounded” to be named the player of it.

Widely tipped for relegation, the Blades instead finished ninth, their highest top- division placing of the Premier League era.

Last week Basham was named fans’ and players’ player of the year.

But with no end- of- season awards ceremony because of the coronavirus pandemic, Basham says the players have been unable to properly celebrate their success as a group, and by the time they are, he expects the focus to be on following it up.

“We’ve not been able to do anything big since the season finished, we just saw each other in training and matches,” said 32- year- old Basham, who has been rewarded with a new twoyear contract. “I don’t think that will happen until next season but we’ve got something else big to do then because we’ll be in the Premier League again.

“I think boys needed the break from each other, it’s been a long season, a tough season. Even in lockdown we were still training hard, so it’s nice to chill out with my family.”

He says being around his family made his end- of- season accolades sweeter.

“It’s meant even more because my parents and my wife were astounded and so was I,” he reflected.

“It’s great having the fans on your side and it just shows how far hard work and determination with a bit of quality can take you. It felt really good, I just wish I had scored a goal last season.

“The players’ player of the year was massive for me because it’s your team- mates you see every day, you have nights out with and you’re on the grass with. The messages I got from the boys were truly astonishing, it was really nice. Seeing how I’m thought of in the dressing room, it felt great.”

Basham was also in Alan Shearer’s Premier League team of the season, an honour for a northeasterner like the man from Hebburn, but he claimed fellow centreback Jack O’Connell should be closer to an England call- up.

“You can dream about stuff like that but my mate who plays on the left- hand side is definitely overdue a call- up,” he insisted. “He’s been outstanding.

“Him and ( John) Egan are the main guys. I’m so happy for Egan to have won a couple of caps now ( eight, for the Republic of Ireland).

“To be from my neck of the woods, Alan Shearer was someone I looked up to as a kid and was a massive fan of, so to be in his team of the season was a pinchmyself moment, it was amazing.”