Members News: Sam’s Now A Blades Man!
Sam Signs For Sheffield Utd.
Sam McCallum in the Sky Blue
Fairly recent Association recruit and former Coventry City defender Sam McCallum has found himself a new club over the close season! It has just been announced that he has joined Sheffield United on a free transfer penning a four year commitment to the Blades. Sam transfers following his previous contract with Norwich City running out! The 23 year old played for the Sky Blues U18s and U23s before becoming an impressive attack minded left sided defender in CCFC’s first team. Sam joins fellow CCFPA member and recent Sky Blue favourite Gus Hamer at Bramall Lane!
Sam was born in Canterbury in Kent on 2nd September 2000 (attending Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys in that Cathedral city) and began his career at local non-League club Herne Bay. The Sky Blues spotted his potential whilst developing his skills at Jamie Vardy‘s V9 Academy and snapped the youngster up in August 2018 when we were a League One team.
CCLSC’s Gary Maxim presented Sam with his CCFPA membership tie
From our own Development squad Sam soon broke through into first team contention with the Sky Blues and made his debut in November 2018 in our EFL Trophy two goal defeat against Cheltenham Town coming off the bench after 55 minutes to replace Brandon Mason. Three further substitute appearances followed before making his full debut at left-back in City’s 1-1 draw at the Ricoh with Wimbledon in January 2019. He became much more of a regular in the 2019-20 season and was so impressive that Sam reportedly attracted the interest of several Premier League clubs including Liverpool and Leicester City.
However, it was Norwich City that got the young player’s signature, coming in with a bid of £3.75m at the end of January 2020 which was accepted. The Canaries obviously saw Sam as one for the future and immediately loaned him back to the Sky Blues to the end of the season to continue his development. On 20 September 2020, Sam was once more loaned to CCFC for the 2020–21 season for his third spell with the club. By the time he finally left CCFC Sam had totalled 84 appearances (L 65+9s; FAC 5; LC 1+1s; Other 2+1s) and scored four goals (3L & 1FC).
Sam McCallum in Sky Blue action
At that point still to make his league debut for the Canaries (who dropped down to become the Sky Blues’ Championship rivals from 2020-21) Sam first pulled on the Norwich first team shirt in an EFL Cup appearance that season. For 2021-22 the Premier League Canaries chose to loan him out to a different Championship club, CCFC’s rivals, Queen’s Park Rangers and he played for them nineteen times scoring twice! At the end of that August he played against City in the Hoops 2-0 win over the Sky Blues in Shepherds Bush! Back with the Canaries the season before last he went on to feature in 60 games for the Canaries netting once.
On moving to his latest club Sam told the Sheffield United website
“It is a big club and I enjoy the style of football,” said McCallum of his switch to the Blades. “I’ve always liked the football which the manager has implemented into the club and hopefully I’ll fit hand-in-hand with that. The football United play is the football I want to be playing for the next couple of years.
“I am looking forward to all the ambitions the manager has got here. I think the project going forward looks like it is going in the right direction again, so I wanted to be part of it.”
CCFPA Life President Joe Elliott talks to CCFC’s Sam McCallum & Morgan Williams when both were at CCFC
In his shortish six season career so far he has completed just 163 professional games scoring seven times! Sam continues to build a solid professional career and we look forward to seeing further progress in coming months and years. We know he is likely to be a busy man during this season but we would love to see him back in Coventry as our guest at an Association event.
Thanks to CCFPA’s Mike Young for sourcing the images.
