Many accolades are bestowed upon those who helped Sheffield United advance from League One to the Premier League, but one of the unsung heroes of the era was Chris Basham.

After finishing just outside the League One play-offs the previous year, the intention was to bring in solid Championship-quality players to assist the club return to the top six of the third tier, if not higher, and finally achieve promotion.

Basham had played 40 games for the Seasiders in the previous Championship season and was an important element of the team’s survival, as they depended heavily on their defenders despite having the league’s worst attacking return that year.

He was an astute signing at the time, but no one could have predicted the club’s dizzying success over the next decade.

Chris Basham played a vital role in Sheffield United’s climb to the Premier League.

Sheffield United’s remarkable journey to the top flight did not begin until a few years after Basham joined the club.

In the centre-back’s first season at Bramall Lane, the Blades failed to make the play-offs again, but Basham scored his first goal for the club in a chaotic 5-5 second leg tie against Swindon Town. Sheffield United performed considerably worse the next year under Nigel Adkins, finishing in the middle of the table.

As many know, the introduction of boyhood Blade Chris Wilder to the Bramall Lane dugout sparked the special run, and despite playing an important role in his first two years at Sheffield United, it was Wilder’s tutelage that transformed Basham into a Premier League-quality defender.

Basham and new signing Jack O’Connell would form a formidable defensive pairing. Wilder’s back three would consist of Basham, O’Connell, and someone else for the following five years. John Egan would eventually take over as the third man, but for the time being, Jake Wright held that position.

Basham would play as a wide centre-back in Wilder’s three-man defence, frequently making overlapping runs while the wing-back tucked in. It worked well, as Sheffield United won the league with 100 points. One in his debut season in charge, and the team was promoted to the Premier League after just two years.

During those three years, the popular centre-back missed only nine league games, but there were plenty of memorable moments, none more so than in March 2019, when he scored the only goal of the game against Leeds United at Elland Road, helping the Blades leapfrog their rivals and climb into the Championship’s top two.

That victory gave Sheffield United a significant advantage in the promotion fight between the two clubs, and while the pendulum swung back and forth in the months between then and the end of the season, Chris Wilder’s side held their nerve to clinch a historic promotion.

Chris Basham would remain a prominent player in the Premier League.

With Sheffield United entering the Premier League with a group largely made up of League One players, there was speculation that the Blades would require a significant squad revamp to contend.

The Blades competed, but no revamp was required since those who helped the South Yorkshire club achieve promotion and the opportunity to play in the top level were given it, and they took full advantage.

John Fleck, John Lundstram, and John Egan are regarded as the hardworking heroes of Sheffield United’s 2019/20 squad, but Basham contributed significantly.

In fact, the 31-year-old started every single league game that season, earning both Players’ Player and Player of the Year honors. Even though the Blades had a difficult second season, Basham remained a mainstay in the team, starting 31 games.

Basham was perhaps the most crucial player in Chris Wilder’s system during his first season as Sheffield United manager, and Blades supporters shared Wilder’s enthusiasm for the popular defender.

The Blades have several unsung heroes during the 2019/20 Premier League season, but Basham stands out the most.