Sheffield United lead list of suitors for teen sensation Sam Curtis

WANTED MAN: Sam Curtis of Republic of Ireland in action against Riccardo Calafiori of Italy during the UEFA European Under-21 Championship Qualifier match between Republic of Ireland and Italy at Turners Cross in Cork. Pic: Eóin Noonan/Sportsfile

Sheffield United have jumped to the top of the queue in the pursuit of Ireland U21 defender Sam Curtis.

The right-back played his 60th senior and final game for St Patrick’s Athletic in their FAI Cup final victory over Bohemians, shortly after which UK clubs could join the race when he turned 18 on December 1.

Manchester City and Chelsea were tracking the recently-crowned PFAI Young Player of the Year but moreso on the basis of signing him to one of their feeder clubs around Europe.

Sheffield United – with new assistant manager Keith Andrews centrally involved – are believed to be confident of recruiting the free agent in the upcoming January transfer window.

Fellow Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion, along with Championship side Hull City, are among the Meathman’s other suitors but the Blades tick a lot of boxes for the parties.

Regardless of whether former Ireland midfielder Andrews and his boss Chris Wilder produce the great escape by lifting the bottom side out of the relegation zone, Curtis would be offered a route into the first-team fray.

He made history as a 14-year-old in 2020 by becoming the youngest-ever debutant of Shamrock Rovers when featuring for their First Division team against Athlone Town.

St Pat’s succeeded in an audacious swoop for Sam and older brother Ben from the Hoops the following year and it wasn’t long before he was promoted to the senior set-up by Tim Clancy.

That ascent continued under Jon Daly and he played a starring role in their Cup triumph before a record crowd at Aviva Stadium.

Club progress was mirrored at international level by being fast-tracked from the Under-19s to the Under-21s last March, nailing down a regular spot in Ireland’s European Championship qualification campaign.

“I knew Sam would take to it like a duck to water and he would be walking out there believing it's the occasion he is supposed to be on,” Daly said after his tyro’s Cup final masterclass.

“It is, to be fair. He is going to have a big career wherever he goes. We will try and convince him tonight to stay on for a few years.” 

Daly knew a higher calling was inevitable. St Pat’s and his other former clubs will receive FIFA compensation as his two-year contract expired at the end of November.