Yorkshire | Sheffield United look to Ings to kickstart their season

Sheffield United have signed Danny Ings on free transfer

This is a free transfer after the former England striker was released by West Ham United earlier this summer.

Author | Terri Woodford

The 33-year-old has agreed a one-year deal, with the option of an extension, following a short period of training with the club.

A good move for Sheffield United? They certainly need something after a poor start to the campaign.

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Ings adds experience and depth to a forward line that has struggled badly at the start of the season. The Blades are bottom of the Championship, without a point from three matches and with only one goal scored.

He endured a difficult spell at West Ham, scoring once in 15 Premier League appearances last season and registering only five goals in 69 games since joining from Aston Villa in January 2023.

A closer look at his career so far

Ings began his career at Bournemouth before joining Burnley in August 2011. He quickly made an impact, hitting 21 goals in 40 Championship games to fire the club to promotion. He followed that with 11 more in the Premier League, even as Burnley were relegated.

His form earned him a £8m move to Liverpool in June 2015 and a first England cap, but his time at Anfield was disrupted by serious knee injuries. He scored four times in 25 appearances across three seasons before joining Southampton, initially on loan.

The switch revived his career. A permanent move followed in 2019 and he went on to score 46 goals in 100 matches, form that led to an England recall after five years away.

Ings joined Aston Villa in 2021, scoring 14 times in 52 appearances, before making the move to West Ham.

A busy summer for Sheffield United

All change at Bramall Lane

A summer of change at Bramall Lane has seen Chris Wilder replaced by Ruben Selles, the departure of several key players, and AI-driven recruitment. There’s also been a poor start to the Championship campaign. They were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Birmingham City.

Sheffield United manager Ruben Selles is now under mounting pressure after Millwall edged a 1-0 victory at Bramall Lane during their last match, leaving the Blades still winless this season. Luke Cundle’s first-half strike and goalkeeper Steven Benda’s superb saves denied Sheffield United an equaliser.

After that Millwall defeat, Selles told the media: "Right now we are in a tough situation. But we needed to start to show a bit more, especially in the beginning of the game. We can't wait to go behind before we start our game.”