Matt Doherty

Doherty built his career on timing, overlapping from right back at the moment a winger needs the extra body to unbalance a defence. He spent years doing this at the top level, which shows in how rarely he wastes a run or arrives in the box a fraction too late. Sheffield United get a player who has already solved problems most Championship full backs are still working out, because he faced sharper opponents for a decade before arriving.

The question is whether his legs allow him to repeat those bursts every few minutes across a long season at a lower level. Doherty has always defended better going forward than in a straight foot race, which leaves Sheffield United exposed if the ball is worked in behind him quickly. Watching how the manager balances his experience against a younger option tells you plenty about how the team wants to play.