Sheffield United and Aston Villa have seen their fair share of ups and downs in English football.

The West Midlands team is now in the Premier League’s upper echelons, vying for a position in next season’s Champions League, but the South Yorkshire side is unlikely to make the Championship play-offs.

Villa and the Blades faced off in the 2023/24 Premier League season, with Unai Emery’s side winning 5-0 at Bramall Lane in the most recent match.

Kyle Walker, who later won the Champions League with Manchester City, and Lee Hendrie, who is now well-known for his punditry work, have both played for Sheffield United and Aston Villa.

Aston Villa and Sheffield United fans will be startled by what Samir Carruthers is doing now.

Samir Carruthers, who has also played for MK Dons and Oxford United, is another player who has represented both Villa Park and Bramall Lane.

Many former footballers go into punditry or coaching after retiring, but the former Ireland youth international has chosen to become a full-time barber.

Carruthers documents his efforts on TikTok and Instagram, and he recently shared a video of himself dribbling past Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard on his Premier League debut.

The 32-year-old made only three appearances for Villa, all as a substitute in April 2012, before joining MK Dons on loan in 2013, finally signing permanently the following year.

https://www.instagram.com/samirbc93/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=16c91fc9-73ad-4a0f-988a-a7f241deb8ec

Carruthers remained with the Dons until January 2017, when he joined Sheffield United, who were battling for promotion from League One to the Championship.

The Blades won the third-tier title that season, with the midfielder contributing two assists in 14 league matches.

Carruthers went on to make another 17 appearances in all competitions for the South Yorkshire club before joining Oxford on loan in 2018.

The former Villa player signed for Cambridge United on a free transfer in 2019, and has since played non-league football for Hemel Hempstead, Dartford, and Chelmsford City.

Samir Carruthers failed not live up to Sheffield United’s expectations.

The Blades will always be thankful to Carruthers for assisting them in winning promotion from League One in 2017, as they have not been relegated to the third division since, instead alternating between the Premier League and the Championship.

However, when the midfielder signed a three-and-a-half year contract with Sheffield United in January, Wilder stated: “We have studied and monitored Samir for some time, and he is a player who can grow with us. We appreciate the board’s support with this significant expenditure.Samir is the appropriate age, has a strong pedigree from his time at Villa and MK, and is an intriguing player. He is an offensive midfielder who can play in a variety of roles, and we are excited to welcome him to our fantastic group.”

However, the Blades confirmed that Carruthers had left Bramall Lane by mutual consent in 2019, well before his first three-and-a-half-year contract was supposed to expire.

The midfielder was unable to provide the enthusiasm Wilder spoke to in the Championship, and instead pursued a career at the lower levels of the game before becoming a barber.