Sheffield United have had some prolific strikers over the years, with Billy Sharp continuing to thrive for the Blades this season.

Whilst James Beattie was nowhere near Sharp in terms of the impact he made at Bramall Lane, the former England man was very good during his spell in Yorkshire, scoring 34 goals in 65 games over an 18 month spell before departing for Stoke City.

Leaving when he did wasn't going to be popular among the Blades support, but Beattie got another crack at the Premier League, and he would do well with the Potters before going to Rangers.

Beattie would have a short spell with Blackpool, an unsuccessful return to Sheffield United and a stint with Accrington before retiring but he has remained in the game since retiring.

The 44-year-old was the manager of Stanley for over 50 games, although he struggled to make a positive impact. That didn't put Beattie off the coaching game though, but he would revert to being a member of staff as opposed to the main man.

He would effectively follow Garry Monk over the next few years, being part of his backroom team at Swansea, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday.

Even though Monk hasn't had a job since leaving Sheffield Wednesday in 2020, Beattie is back involved, having linked up with Leam Richardson at Wigan Athletic.

It's a move that appears to have worked well too, as the Latics are flying high in League One and several players have praised the impact of Beattie, who appears to be enjoying himself as part of Leam Richardson's team.

Whether he will ever return to be a manager again remains to be seen, but Beattie clearly still has a love for the game and his influence is helping Wigan in their promotion push.

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