Former Sheffield United star Keith Gillespie has told Football FanCast that Rhian Brewster should stay at the club next season and help fire them to promotion.

The young striker has struggled this season at times in a poor Blades team.

They are currently rock-bottom of the Premier League, having taken just 14 points from 30 games.

Brewster arrived in the summer from Liverpool for a fee of £23.5m in the summer, a club-record fee that seemed to mark him out as their next first-choice striker who could hit the back of the net with regularity.

He has struggled, though, playing 24 times for the club in all competitions and failing to score a goal.

It has been roundly terrible for the 21-year-old but he does have history of hitting the back of the net, scoring 11 times in 22 games for Swansea City in the Championship while on loan from Liverpool, and scoring 13 goals in 28 games for Liverpool’s U23s.

Gillespie has refused to criticise the player, instead insisting he should stay for another season and try to help fire the Blades to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

He told FFC: “He has suffered with not scoring, it is tough when you are that age and you come with a reputation of scoring goals.

“But I’d like to think he’d show loyalty to Sheffield United, and he’ll be there next season. I’d imagine he’d probably score quite a few goals in the Championship and hopefully help Sheffield United back to the Premier League.”