Sheffield United are firmly in the fight for promotion this season as they look to seal their return to the Premier League.

They went close last year but were knocked out in the play-off semi-finals by Nottingham Forest.

They've done well to bounce back from that disappointment, though, and Paul Heckingbottom has them in promotion contention again this year.

Indeed, he's tweaked the squad nicely during his time there and clearly knows what he wants from them, with them playing in a system that has served them well over the years under different managers.

What they might be able to achieve if they could call on some of their former best players from the recent past, though? We take a look at two that would fit right in under the current premiership...

Harry Maguire

Sheffield United have a very strong defence and that is reflected by them having one of the best records in the league but there's always room for improvement and Maguire would bring that.

He's been hammered at times for Manchester United but he's still a good defender and is very strong in a back-three in particular, which the Blades have of course used this season.

He's showing decent form once again for England at the World Cup and he was popular at Bramall Lane, so he'd surely be welcomed back if he ever did return.

Perhaps it's something we could see towards the end of his career, though who knows where the Blades and Heckingbottom will be by that point.

Mark Duffy

Duffy might be one of the most under-rated players in Sheffield United's recent history.

He was energetic, could break lines and provided plenty of class moments during his time at Sheffield United.

The Blades have a very impressive set of midfielders right now but a prime Duffy would absolutely add to what they've got, and perhaps even bring something a little different.

He achieved a lot during his time with United and you'd see him fitting in well under Heckingbottom's system, which has plenty of the traits of the successful Chris Wilder side that Duffy was a part of.