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John Egan celebrates his 93rd-minute winner. Laurence Griffiths/NMC Pool/PA Wire
Man of the Moment

'Two in two, prolific now so!' - Ireland defender Egan basks in glory after late, great winner

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder claims he pulled his calf celebrating the Corkman’s all-important goal.

THE HERO ONCE again, Ireland and Sheffield United defenfer John Egan is enjoying a memorable few days.

On Sunday, the Cork star bagged his first Premier League goal — and did it in style as his as his brilliant 80th-minute finish rescued a draw for his Sheffield United side against Burnley.

After 72 games without a goal, Egan scored his second-ever for the club and first since August 2018 when he previously found the back of the net in the Championship.

Tonight, he went one further. The 27-year-old scored his second in two games as he headed home a 93rd-minute winner against Wolves as the Blades kept their European football hopes alive.

The last-minute winner dealt a blow to Wolves’ Champions League ambitions.

“Mad, like London buses,” Egan laughed in a post-match interview with Sky Sports.

You wait so long for a goal and then I suppose you get a little bit of a bug. Two in two, prolific now so! I think the gaffer has been asking for 10, so I’ve only got eight more to go in the next four games.”

“It always gives you a bit more belief when you score,” he added, reflecting on his excellent finish against Burnley at the weekend.

“I hadn’t scored for a long time and it had been playing on my mind a bit. The gaffer has been hammering me. I got one the other day, I got one again today. Today was vital, the winner. Hopefully I can keep adding that to my game and get a few more.”

Sheffield manager Chris Wilder was also in jubilant form in his own post-match interview, despite an injury sustained mid-celebration at Bramall Lane. 

“I pulled my calf,” he laughed, before discussing his team’s performance.

“I thought we were excellent. I wouldm’t have been too disappointed with a draw against Wolves, the players that they’ve got, the manager they’ve got, I thought it was outstanding.

“I really enjoy watching the team play. We’ve been stretched by a few things but everybody to a man stood up, took the challenge on and played well. We moved the ball around the pitch and we were brave in possession.

“We didn’t sit back – we had to at times, off the counter, the pace and what they’ve got at the top of the pitch is really dangerous. Both aspects of the game had to be right tonight, and I believe it was.”

Full of praise for his goalscorer, he echoed the Irishman’s previous sentiments.

“John Egan – I’ve battered him for not scoring and now he’s got two in two,” Wilder noted. “I’m not too sure he’ll get to the 10 that I think he’ll get to, but delighted for John.

“Even though there’s not 30,000 Sheffield United supporters in — which we all wish that there was — I thought the intensity of the performance, the aggression and just the drive of the team was immense and hopefully they all enjoyed it sat at home.

“It means a lot,” the boss added on the last-gasp winner and his own reaction. “You know, you’ve turned over a top side tonight regardless of if it’s in front of 300 people or 33,000. And I believe it’s the least that we deserve from a really committed performance.”

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