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Stuart McCall hopes Paul Gascoigne’s Rangers example will have same effect at Sheffield United
Stuart McCall feels there are plenty of players currently in the Sheffield United dressing room who can more than step up to the challenge of Premier League football next season. Not only that, but he believes new signings will only have a positive effect on driving performance levels further.
The assistant manager, who has played his part in a second promotion to the Premier League having occupied the same role with Neil Warnock back in 2006, was able to lean on an example from his playing days at Glasgow Rangers when Paul Gascoigne joined and his arrival lifted the team.
Manager Paul Heckingbottom and head of recruitment Paul Mitchell are working to a limited budget following last season’s well-publicised financial problems and will have to be clever in the market if they are to be competitive next season.
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Heckingbottom will be looking to bring in fresh faces but there won’t be large numbers coming through the Bramall Lane door, unlike some clubs who have opted for wholesale changes.
Instead, they will have to get the maximum from the money that has been set aside for signings and he will rely heavily on the majority of players who played their part in last season’s success.
And providing those new signings are better than what’s already here, they will inspire their new team-mates to raise their game further, which will only benefit the team, according to McCall.
He remembers the time when Paul Gascoigne joined Glasgow Rangers in 1995 from Lazio. McCall was already well established in the heart of the midfield at that time and a huge fans’ favourite.
He saw the impact Gazza’s arrival had on the rest of the squad and feels there could be a similar scenario at Bramall Lane this summer.
“There are a lot of lads who have given everything for this club,” McCall told Yorkshire Live. “A few have been unfortunate with injuries.
“Every close season there are fresh faces that come in the door and you try and play better. I remember the time at Rangers when Gazza came in.
“I’m thinking ‘Crikey, we’re only playing a two-man midfield’. You want your club to bring in top players. Hopefully, not in your position but unfortunately that was the case because that can happen.
“But then you have to say right ‘I want to be the one who’s playing next to him’, so it upped your game as well. I am sure every player in that Sheffield United dressing room will be wanting that.
“They would have wanted to bring Morgan Gibbs-White to the club, Anel to the club, the two Man City lads because it improves us as a club as well. It also lifts everybody else if they want to get above them.
“When Gazza came in I remember speaking to the kit man Jimmy, a great guy who has unfortunately passed away now. We had four spare spaces in the changing room. I got changed at number three and there was number four available. I threatened the kit man that if he gives Gazza number four he’s in trouble.
“Low and behold he gave him number four, so I had to change next to him for three years, which was absolutely murder let me tell you! Other than that it was a joy.
“We played together a long time and, of course, it takes you up a level when playing alongside those players. We brought in the likes of Brian Laudrup. They were special times, but that’s an example of what I’m saying about here.
“We will try and bring in better players for next season but that doesn’t mean the players who are here won’t go ‘bring it on, that’s a challenge but I will go and do this and step up’.
“Look at what happened this season. People are talking about Iliman and McAtee but Ollie Norwood up until a few months until the end was probably our player of the season, but he’s not in everyone’s mind because he wasn’t playing but he’s been outstanding for the club.
“Someone like Robbo. Ciaran Clark had a really good spell around January and it looked like he was going to stay in the team, but unfortunately, he picked up a little injury and Robbo came back in. Since then he’s been terrific.
“Baldock has pushed himself after Bogle got in. We have had challenges all over and that’s what keeps your club going.”
