Jairo Riedewald’s Comments After Positive Sheffield United Debut

Despite a tense first half, the breakthrough came just before the hour mark. Tyrese Campbell’s low strike was parried by Watford keeper Egil Selvik, but Andre Brooks reacted sharply to gather the rebound. The academy graduate showed great composure to fire the ball across goal, where Callum O’Hare arrived on the line to tap home from close range.

Moments later, Wilder moved to solidify his side, making a triple substitution that included the debut of Dutch midfielder Jairo Riedewald, who joined days before the game, Danny Ings and Harrison Burrows also entered the fray. Watford responded by introducing Tom Ince, Kwadwo Baah, and Marc Bola to chase an equaliser.

The visitors came agonisingly close to levelling late on, as Imran Louza rattled the crossbar from inside the area with five minutes to play. But Sheffield United held firm to claim a valuable three points as they head to 22nd-placed Blackburn Rovers in midweek.

Jairo Riedewald Experiences Positive Debut As A Blade

Riedewald, the former Crystal Palace man, who signed a short-term deal until early 2026, was pleased to make his first appearance in red and white and to experience Bramall Lane’s atmosphere firsthand.

“My first nine or ten days here have been very good,” Riedewald said to SUTV after the game. “It’s a good squad with good coaching, and everyone has been welcoming from the first day. To be at Bramall Lane with the fans, on the pitch, and getting three points, it’s the perfect ending to the week.”

The versatile Dutchman, comfortable both in defence and midfield, was brought on to provide stability in the closing stages, a role he executed well.

“Everybody knows we needed the points, and we deserved the points,” he continued. “We’ve been unlucky in some recent games, but it was important to get over the line. The manager asked me to be disciplined and offer extra security in front of the defence.”

Riedewald, who joined the club after completing a medical and fitness test days before kick-off, is now focused on building his match sharpness and contributing to the Blades’ climb up the table:

“I was very keen to join this team. It’s a very good group, and I’ve earned a contract until January, so it’s important for me to get match fit and help the club get points,” he added. “We have to recover quickly ahead of two away games now, but thankfully we’ve started a three-game week with a win.”