Sheffield United are currently just outside the play-off positions as Nigel Adkins toys and juggles with a squad which has been seen as top heavy, but not for the right reasons.

There are too many players in the squad now who are simply not up to it, but this is not to say that over the past few seasons United have not had a plethora of good players on their books.

The Blades have a handy knack of producing top quality players from their youth academy, and many will probably feature in this team I am about to put together.

There have also been some successful signings too, who have gone on to leave the club for better things.

In this article, I take a look at the best XI for Sheffield United over the past five years, set up in a standard 4-4-2 formation.....

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PRESS THE IMAGE BELOW TO SEE THE BEST XI!

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GK -  George Long

The Blades have struggled for a top goalkeeper since losing Paddy Kenny many moons ago, but Long is the future of the Blades when it comes to being in the sticks, and has demonstrated enough quality over the past few seasons to back this up.

In his first full season playing, he kept over 20 clean sheets in all competitions and impressed immensely, earning a call up to the England under-21 set up on more than one occasion.

Long has regained the number 1 jersey this season from Mark Howard, and has put in strong performances in the main.

He is still in his early 20s, and is a relative baby in goalkeeping terms, meaning he has plenty of time to develop in to a first class goalie.

Def - Matt Lowton

The home grown talent was superb for United during their run to the play-off final in their first season in League One, and had to endure the pain of missing his penalty in the shootout in the final.

Lowton was a class act up and down the right, bombing on from right back and defending excellently throughout the season.

He was ultimately sold on to Aston Villa, and has gone on to make a good career for himself, more recently playing for a good Burnley side at the top of the Championship.

Def - Harry Maguire

Another player who came through the United academy, Maguire was the defensive lynch pin for the club over the course of his few seasons with the Blades.

United have never really recovered from his sale to Hull City, and his old defensive partner Neil Collins has struggled to capture the same form he did when he had Maguire next to him.

Maguire was a dominating presence at the back, and had the ability of being able to carry out the ball from the back, and set attacks up for his team from a deep position.

He is sorely missed at Bramall Lane, and any fan would be more than happy to see him back in the red and white shirt.

Def - Chris Morgan

Morgan is a legend at Bramall Lane, and just qualifies for this team over the last five seasons due to his one season playing League One football with United.

Morgan epitomised what most fans at Bramall Lane see as is the minimum requirement for a player to play in the red and white, and that is passion, heart, and work rate in abundance.

Morgan spent over 10 seasons at the Lane, and his time included a promotion to the Premiership, two relegations, as well as a spell in charge of managing the first team.

He has recently left the club to join Danny Wilson at Chesterfield, but many fans were hoping Morgan would stick around long enough to be in the running to become first team manager eventually.

Def - Jon Brayford

One of the few shining lights in the current set up, Brayford is a class above most of his teammates on his day.

Signed by then manager Nigel Clough after an impressive loan spell, Brayford was vital for the Blades as they made the FA Cup semi finals, scoring the winner in the quarter final to forever endear himself to United fans hearts.

Brayford has since suffered serious injury, but has returned to the team and while he does not look quite the same player that he was prior to the injury, he is still probably the best player in the current squad.

Mid - Stephen Quinn

The Ireland international was a class act during his time at Bramall Lane. When he broke in to the team while they were in the Premier League, he impressed immensely, earning himself a place in the starting line up for years to come.

He was the driving force in midfield for the club as they embarked on their run to the play off final in their first season in League One, before being snapped up by Hull City in a bargain deal.

He has gone on to play for Hull again in the Premier League, and more recently for Reading, where he has again endeared himself to home fans with his performances and commitment.

A real class act, every single United fan would love to see Quinn back in the red and white stripes.

Mid - Kevin McDonald

To put it in simple terms, the Blades have simply never recovered from the sale of McDonald to Wolves in the summer of 2013.

McDonald was the player who made everything tick for United, single handedly running games on his own from the middle of the park with what looked like ease.

He was snapped up by Wolves, who activated a clause in his contract which allowed him to leave, and he ultimately led them to promotion that very season as they romped to the League Title.

McDonald is another player who was sold when Blades fans thought things were going well, and is sorely missed to this day in the centre of the park.

Mid - Matt Phillips

The current QPR winger spent a brief spell on loan with the Blades in 2011, and what a loan spell it was.

In the 6 games he played, he managed 5 goals, and recorded an equal number of assists. He was promptly recalled to Blackpool who put him straight in their line up following his performances at the Lane, and that was the last United saw of him.

However, he makes this team just for the impact he had in such a short space of time, leaving fans wondering what might have been if he could have been signed permanently.

Mid - Conor Coady

The midfielder was signed on loan for United for the season and was instrumental as they climbed off the foot of the table to finish 7th, and reached the FA Cup semi final during the same season.

Coady was an excellent box to box midfielder who possessed real energy and quality on the ball.

He was promptly signed up by Huddersfield on a permanent deal, before later moving to Wolves.

He is often cited as one that got away at Bramall Lane, and many believe if they could have signed him permanent then the season after would have been a much easier ride.

FWD - Ched Evans

Always a controversial choice due to his off field convictions, but he is in this side based purely on footballing reasons alone.

Evans was absolutely superb for United under Danny Wilson, as he plundered 35 goals before his off field activity caught up with him and he was sent to prison with 5 games remaining.

It proved costly to the Blades, as they failed to win any of those games and surrendered 2nd place to local rivals Sheffield Wednesday. Many to this day believe if Evans had not done what he did, then the Blades would have won promotion.

FWD - Jamie Murphy

The final place in the team goes to Jamie Murphy, who currently plays for Brighton following his move from the Blades last season.

It would have been easy to select Billy Sharp, who has been excellent this season, but Murphy was one of the best players at the club during his time at the Lane, and is sorely missed in the team.

Capable of playing up front or from the wing, his pace was a real outlet for the Blades and he became vital in how Nigel Clough wanted his team to play, with the counter attack often used to gain victory.

He has gone on to be a success in the Championship with Brighton, and what looked like a good deal at the time for the Blades when they sold him, is starting to look like a cheap sale.

Blades fans, what do you think to this team? Who else would you consider for selection in the best 11? Let us know in the comments!