Ollie Arblaster

Ollie Arblaster

Personal information
Full name	Oliver Luke Arblaster [1]
Date of birth	(2004-01-08) 8 January 2004 (age 20) [2]
Place of birth	Sheffield, England [1]
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) [1]
Position(s)	Midfielder [1]
Team information
Current team	Sheffield United
Number	4
Youth career
2010–2021	Sheffield United
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2021–	Sheffield United	28	(2)
2021	→ Bradford (Park Avenue) (loan)	5	(0)
2023	→ Port Vale (loan)	20	(2)
International career‡
2021–2022	England U18	5	(1)
2023–	England U20	6	(1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:33, 12 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10:55, 1 October 2024 (UTC)

Oliver Luke Arblaster (born 8 January 2004) is an English professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for EFL Championship club Sheffield United.

Arblaster turned professional at Sheffield United in May 2018. He was loaned out to Bradford (Park Avenue) in October 2021. He played four games of United's 2022–23 Championship promotion-winning campaign. He was loaned out to Port Vale for the first half of the 2023–24 season.

Club career

Sheffield United

Arblaster joined the Academy at Sheffield United at the age of six. ^[3] He initially wanted to be a goalkeeper, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, before accepting he would play outfield due to his relatively short stature. ^[4] He turned professional at the club in May 2018. ^[5] On 22 October 2021, he joined Bradford (Park Avenue) on a youth-loan until 3 January, alongside Nickseon Gomis. ^[6] He made his senior debut later that day in a 5–1 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers. ^[7] He impressed manager Mark Bower and retained his starting place for a total of five matches at the Horsfall Stadium. ^[8] He was recalled to Bramall Lane by Sheffield United on 3 December. ^[9] He was twice named in United's matchday squads in the 2021–22 season. ^[10]

He made his debut for Sheffield United in an EFL Cup match as the Blades lost 1–0 at West Bromwich Albion on 11 August 2022. ^[11] He made his Championship debut on 4 September, coming on as a late substitute in a 2–0 win at Hull City. ^[12] He made his first league start on 12 November, playing the first half of 1–0 win at Cardiff City. ^{[13] [14]} He played no further part in the 2022–23 promotion-winning season, though was deemed too useful to loan out as the club management feared a possible injury crisis could develop. ^{[15] [16]}

On 17 July 2023, Arblaster signed for League One club Port Vale on a season-long loan deal, becoming manager Andy Crosby's tenth signing of the summer. ^[17] David Flitcroft, the club's director of football, said that "he is a player that has great potential ahead of him we would like to thank Paul Heckingbottom of Sheffield United for entrusting us with the further development of him". ^[18] He made an immediate impact to the 2023–24 season, being named as the club's Player of the Month as he "played a key role in the engine room of a Port Vale side that accumulated 10 points throughout August". ^[19] He scored his first goal in the English Football League at Vale Park on 19 September, when he fired in a late consolation during a 3–2 defeat to Burton Albion. ^[20] On 11 November, he received the first red card of his career after being sent off following a second booking offence for a reckless late challenge on Ethan Erhahon in a 1–1 draw with Lincoln City. ^[21] On 19 December, he was stretchered off with a badly-gashed knee during the second half of a 3–0 defeat to Middlesbrough in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup and was ruled out of action for an undetermined period of weeks. ^[22] Ten days later, it was confirmed that he had been recalled back to Sheffield United, with new manager Chris Wilder reportedly keen to play him once he returned to fitness. ^{[23] [24]} He made his Premier League debut on 4 March 2024 when he came on as a 64th-minute substitute in Sheffield United's 6–0 home defeat to Arsenal. ^[25] He earned his first Premier League start five days later in a 2–2 draw at AFC Bournemouth. ^[26] He was named as the club's Player of the Month for March. ^[27] On 24 April, he captained Sheffield United in a 4–2 defeat by Manchester United at Old Trafford. ^[28]

He opened the 2024–25 season by scoring the opening goal of a 2–0 win at Preston North End and then spent the next day with the Port Vale away fans in their League Two fixture at Salford City. ^[29] He was named on the EFL Team of the Week having also "made two key passes, two successful dribbles, three interceptions and nine ball recoveries" according to WhoScored.com. ^[30] He picked up an anterior cruciate ligament injury during a 1–0 win over Sheffield derby rivals Sheffield Wednesday which required surgery and ruled him out until the end of the 2024–25 season. ^[31]

International career

In November 2021, Arblaster was called up to the England under-18 squad by head coach Neil Ryan for the Pinatar Tournament in Spain, featuring against Belgium. ^[3] He scored the winning goal in a 3–2 victory over Austria on 7 June 2022. ^[32] He was called up to the England under-20 squad for the first time in August 2023. ^[33] In October 2023, he was called up to the England U-20 side for matches against Portugal U-20 and Romania U-20. ^[34] He made his U20 debut on 12 October 2023 during a 2–0 away defeat to Romania. ^[35]

Style of play

Arblaster is a technically gifted midfielder with an eye for goal. ^[36] Coach Jack Lester said that he had a "brilliant footballing brain". ^[3]

Career statistics

As of match played 10 November 2024

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			FA Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Sheffield United	2021–22 [37]	Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2022–23 [15]	Championship	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	5	0
	2023–24 [38]	Premier League	12	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	0
	2024–25 [39]	Championship	12	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	12	2
	Total		28	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	29	2
Bradford (Park Avenue) (loan)	2021–22 [1]	National League North	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Port Vale (loan)	2023–24 [38]	League One	20	2	2	0	4	0	0	0	26	2
Career total			53	4	2	0	5	0	0	0	60	4

Honours

Sheffield United

• EFL Championship second-place promotion: 2022–23 ^[1]

References

1. Ollie Arblaster at Soccerway
2. "Ollie Arblaster Sheffield United U21 Midfielder, Profile & Stats | Premier League". www.premierleague.com. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
3. Hemmingham, Nathan (15 November 2021). "Sheffield United have another academy star emerging in Oliver Arblaster". YorkshireLive. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
4. Baggaley, Mike (30 October 2023). "Mansfield awaits as Port Vale pick up pieces from Cheltenham defeat". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
5. Hall, Danny (21 May 2021). ""Fantastic news" - Sheffield United tie five promising young players down to new contracts". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
6. Atkinson, Nathan (22 October 2021). "Avenue bring Blades boys into ranks ahead of Kidderminster". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
7. "Kidderminster Harriers vs. Bradford (Park Avenue) - 23 October 2021 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
8. Atkinson, Nathan (29 October 2021). "Bower delighted as Blades boys make sharp start for Avenue". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
9. "One in One out at Avenue – Bradford (Park Avenue) AFC". bpafc.com. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
10. Jones, Adam (19 July 2022). "Doyle, Goalkeeping situation, Arblaster: The latest Sheffield United news headlines you might have missed". FootballLeagueWorld. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
11. "West Brom 1-0 Sheff Utd: Karlan Grant nets winner to see off Blades in Carabao Cup". Sky Sports. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
12. "Hull City 0-2 Sheffield United: Oli McBurnie scores again as Blades return to top of Championship". Sky Sports. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
13. Shield, James (12 November 2022). "Cardiff City v Sheffield United: Oliver Arblaster makes his full league debut". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
14. Shield, James (12 November 2022). "Cardiff City v Sheffield United: George Baldock's goal sends the visitors top of the Championship". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
15. "Games played by Ollie Arblaster in 2022/2023". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
16. Shield, James (16 November 2022). "Sheffield United: Oliver Arblaster "offers" considered before block put on move". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
17. "Port Vale sign Sheff Utd midfielder Arblaster". BBC Sport. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
18. "Oliver Arblaster Joins The Valiants on a Season-Long Loan". Port Vale F.C. 17 July 2023. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
19. "Ollie Arblaster voted as August's Reels in Motion Player of the Month". Port Vale F.C. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
20. "Port Vale 2-3 Burton Albion". BBC Sport. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 20 September 2023.
21. "Lincoln City 1-1 Port Vale". BBC Sport. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
22. Baggaley, Mike (21 December 2023). "Port Vale injury and loan updates ahead of Wycombe". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
23. "Oliver Arblaster recalled by Sheffield United". Port Vale F.C. 29 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
24. Hall, Danny (29 December 2023). "Sheffield United make transfer decision on promising midfielder as Chris Wilder explains his reasoning". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
25. Smith, Emma (4 March 2024). "Arsenal put six past abysmal Sheffield United". BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 March 2024.
26. Hall, Danny (11 March 2024). "Oliver Arblaster embodies Sheffield United spirit as dream post-match scenes cut through season of gloom". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
27. "OLIVER ARBLASTER - MARCH PLAYER OF THE MONTH". Sheffield United FC. 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
28. Stone, Simon (24 April 2024). "Man Utd 4-2 Sheff Utd: Analysis". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
29. Baggaley, Mike (11 August 2024). "Vale hit the ground running at Salford". Valiant's Substack. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
30. "See who made WhoScored's EFL Team of the Week". EFL. 13 August 2024. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
31. Donnohue, Joe (22 November 2024). "Leeds United rivals Sheffield United see captain ruled out for season as hopeful Chris Wilder disputes injury length". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
32. Hall, Danny (8 June 2022). "Watch Sheffield United duo combine for England winner as 'man in teen's body' continues to impress and defender battles back". Sheffield Star. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
33. "Port Vale duo selected for England U20 training camp – onevalefan.co.uk". www.onevalefan.co.uk. 1 September 2023. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
34. "Interim head coach Joe Edwards has picked a 21-man squad for their games with Romania and Portugal in October". Emglandfootball.com. 6 October 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
35. "Report: Romania 2-0 England's Elite League squad". Englandfootball.com. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
36. "Oliver Arblaster". Sheffield United FC. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
37. "Games played by Ollie Arblaster in 2021/2022". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
38. "Games played by Ollie Arblaster in 2023/2024". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
39. "Games played by Ollie Arblaster in 2024/2025". Soccerbase. Centurycomm. Retrieved 10 August 2024.