Hendrie joins Sheffield United

Lee Hendrie has turned his back on Stoke and joined fellow Championship side, Sheffield United.

Hendrie joins as a free agent after Villa did not renew his contract and has signed a three year deal at Bramall Lane.

This was not a great surprise as it had become quite clear awhile ago that the Potters could not afford Hendrie’s pay demands and he had been angling for a return to the Premiership with Derby amongst the clubs quoted as being interested in the midfielder.

The Blades, whilst also now a Championship club, have the benefit of the £10m ‘parachute’ payments given to relegated Premiership clubs. Tony Pulis has already claimed these payments give those teams a significant advantage that is denied to others and has called for them to be banned. Today’s announcement will, no doubt, reignite this argument.

Meanwhile, Pulis has denied any interest in Ipswich midfielder, Gavin Williams. He told the Sentinel: “I quite fancied him when he was at Yeovil a season or two back, but it’s just a case of needing a different kind of player right now.”