Louie Marsh... what a player!

Eight months ago, Louie Marsh posted a photo of himself looking very uncomfortable as he lay on a hospital bed having just had an operation on a broken leg!

Like a few other lads at Bramall Lane who’ve been through the mill and had prolonged spells on the sidelines such as Antwoine Hackford, Frankie Maguire or Finley Potter, that was the low point. Every footballer HATES being injured with the pain, the rehab and the mental challenges it poses, when all they want to do is be playing with their mates and doing what they love. It’s hard. It’s horrible. It’s often the toughest period in someone’s career and anyone who has been there can relate to it.

Whilst that photo of Marshy - complete with a DSquared2 cap plonked on his head which always makes me laugh, isn’t my favourite of him, fast-forward nearly nine months from Tuesday 5th April to right now and he’s been an absolute pleasure to watch this season. 

I’ve loved seeing his contributions in games because they’ve so often been quality.

With electric pace, nimble technique, good footwork, some new grip socks which should make him even more lethal in the New Year (defenders beware!) and a natural ability to just glide past opponents, he’s taken to U21s football like a duck to water; scoring goals for fun to put Sheffield United top of the PDL (North) where he’s top scorer in the entire league and into double figures already.

Marshy on that night at Hillsborough (Photo: Sheffield United FC).

There’s been so many good moments since the start of the season.

There was the brace against Crewe in November which took him back to the top of the PDL scoring charts on the same day England toiled to a draw with the USA at the World Cup and could have done with his sparkling footwork and ruthlessness up top! 

There was also a goal against Bristol City in the pouring rain in the Premier League Cup just a few days earlier when his intelligence to hold his run, and thus find space to exploit inside a crowded penalty area, stood out a mile.

And he’ll never forget the October night at Hillsborough where he tortured Sheffield Wednesday’s back three to earn the adulation of the Blades fans behind the goal, then had a big beaming smile on his face afterwards as, buzzing with enthusiasm, he swayed from side to side in his post-match interview and made life very awkward for the poor cameraman who just wished he'd stand still.

It’s in those brilliant moments of happiness when football feels so worth it.

The hundreds of times his mum and dad took him to training as a kid, the multiple sacrifices he’s made throughout his school days, the setbacks he’s endured and the times when it’s felt so frustrating. All those emotions to then score goals, perform so well, earn people’s respect and create brilliant memories in the process, eclipses all the difficult periods. 

It’s a sense of fulfilment after so much hard graft. It’s such a brilliant feeling. It makes everyone so proud and Marshy’s still just at the start of his journey. He has so much more to offer and so many more memories to create, with loads more landmarks ahead of him.

One of the most used photos on the @sufcdevelopment Twitter Feed this season.

I’ve drawn comparisons with him and Aaron Collins (currently at Bristol Rovers) in the past because I can still vividly remember the night I first saw Aaron play at Notts County and the similarities are striking. In the years since, I’ve had loads of enjoyment following Azza’s career with all loans, landmarks and anecdotal stories, and I can’t wait for Marshy to fully establish himself at a first team level, carve out his own football story, and then reflect on it all when I put a little montage of his goals together in a few years from now.

There’s a brilliant photo of him on the day he signed one of his first contracts at Bramall Lane where he’s got all his front teeth missing (definitely had too many sweets as a kid) and when he hits little milestones such as making his senior debut, going out for his first loan, or scoring his first goal in senior football, you can guarantee it’ll be popping up on social media.

All he probably dreamed about as a football-mad little kid was being a footballer when he got older and I can’t wait for him to be out on a pitch in the near future when the crowd is roaring just a few minutes before kick-off on a matchday, he’s in the starting line-up, the first few bars of ‘Greasy Chip Butty’ (or whatever other song if he’s on out on loan) is playing aloud over the PA system, and he experiences that spine-tingling split-second moment where things feel totally surreal but very real amidst the sheer adrenaline rush of a game where three are at stake.

Or just after that when fans are going mad and roaring with delight because he’s stuck one past some unfortunate ‘keeper somewhere.

When those moments come I’ve also got no doubts he’ll be wearing a base layer (because he always seems to wear one in games), not forgetting those new grip socks either which ought to make defenders petrified.

Just Marshy and his mates doing what they do best! (Photo: Sheffield United FC).

Above everything - and better than anything else, is that Marshy is just a genuinely decent lad. 

If you know football, you can always tell it a mile off and there’s no ego whatsoever with him. He’s down to earth. He’s loyal. He loves his family, friends and is just a good lad who has been brought up the right way. He’s got great values and is a credit to his parents, his wider family, his club and everyone else who has been there to coach and support him to get to this point. 

From Marshy’s perspective though - and I've a feeling his girlfriend will agree, he’ll probably say the best thing is that his adult teeth have grown through since he scoffed too many Haribos back in his primary school days and had that photo taken! 

It’s been some journey already and the past 12 months have also seen him pick up a PDL title winners medal at U18s level after the Blades went through the entire 2021/22 season unbeaten and then beat Charlton in the National Play-Off Final.

I feel privileged to have watched him since the start of the season because his form and performances have been superb. Sometimes, all it takes is small individual flashes within a game to not only impact the outcome but also leave a long-lasting impression amongst those watching, and he’s done that on multiple occasions. 

Louie Marsh… wow, what a player!