'You could see what he had in his locker'

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says Brentford's Ivan Toney is an example of why young players "need time and patience".

Toney played under Wilder at Northampton at the start of his career and the pair are set to meet again on Saturday when the Blades face the Bees.

"You could see what he had in his locker, which took quite a while to put all together, which sometimes happens as a young player," said Wilder in his pre-match news conference.

The 28-year-old striker, who made his first-team debut for Northampton aged 16, moved to Newcastle in 2015. After a number of loan spells with different clubs, he joined Peterborough in 2018.

"Newcastle didn't get him going. This is what you deal in with young players," added Wilder. "Look at our two young players, [Daniel] Jebbison and [Will] Osula and the characteristics they've got.

"Number nines, modern-day centre-forwards. Strong, powerful and athletic. Obviously Ivan had all those tools and I'm not saying our boys will go on to have the career Ivan's had.

"But it's been a while coming and he'll possibly be the first to admit that [with] loans here, there and everywhere. Obviously he found a good home at Peterborough and developed off the back of that. He then got his move [to Brentford] and the numbers you are talking about and getting in the England squad.

"With young players you need time and patience because they're going to make mistakes and I'm sure Ivan did as a young player. But if somebody believes in them, which we do in our young players, then hopefully they come through.

"We're all looking for it to be now of course, the next six and 12 months, but he's a great example to our players and everyone at the club that this might take a bit of time with the young ones."