"The worry is..." - How Sheffield United wasted talent Lys Mousset is getting on after shock transfer

Earlier this week I wrote an article about Sheffield United’s 2009 sale of striker James Beattie, and wondered how it ranked in the “what-if?” moments of the club’s recent history. Beattie was sold after a rogue request for a new contract from the player’s representative, when a simple conversation could have smoothed it over. United were well-placed in the pursuit of the Premier League; just over two years later, they were relegated to League One.

Every club will have their sliding doors moments, the ones when a slightly different outcome could have dramatically altered the course of their history. Players, too. For a long time, Beattie remained United’s record signing at £4m; it was only after they eventually got promoted back to the top-flight, 10 years after he was sold, that the cash started to flow again.

United invested around £10m on Bournemouth striker Lys Mousset and for a spell, it looked like money well spent. A six-game top-flight purple patch saw him score four goals. He netted against Arsenal and Manchester United and bullied Phil Jones, who never looked like the same player again.

At times you watched him and wondered why he hadn’t played at Premier League level all his career. At others, with concerns over his fitness and lifestyle, he looked more like his level was non-league. Figures behind the scenes were saddened, if not completely shocked, when the Frenchman’s career tanked completely after his inevitable release from Bramall Lane.

A spell in Bochum came to nothing, with the forward placed on an individual fitness plan soon after joining and then, according to German outlet Bild, being suspended over a "lack of motivation, unpunctuality and unprofessionalism." It later emerged that Mousset had reported late to training, despite the session taking place next to the hotel in which he was staying.

Mousset is still only 29 years of age, celebrating his latest birthday last month, and by that point he had pitched up on trial at League of Ireland Premier Division club Bohemians, scoring in a behind-closed-doors friendly to earn another second chance in a game that keeps giving him them.

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He is yet to play 90 minutes for Alan Reynolds’ side - which is somewhat understandable considering he had 13 months out of the game after his Bochum deal was terminated by mutual consent - and is yet to hit the back of the net in his five first-team appearances, two of which came off the bench. Jordan O'Reilly, from the “One Up Top” Bohemians fan podcast, told The Star: “He arrived in pre-season quite unfit and overweight, but he scored in almost every pre-season game - including a screamer.

“Since then, he was our only 'fit' striker and started the first game, doing okay for his size and fitness. He started a few others and was taken off after 60 minutes. He hasn't got it in him to finish 90 minutes yet.

“The season is about five or six weeks in now but he's still quite overweight and is now making appearances off the bench. The manager did say that he was carrying a knock from the start of the season. There is still quite some hope for him, but is some worry about how quickly he can get trim and fit.”

Reynolds’ players have been impressed with Mousset’s abilities. Midfielder Connor Parsons said recently: “Any club would be buzzing to have him because he’s such a big name and played at such a level. It’s understandable why fans are loving him. He’s a great character, a funny guy but he’s got a long way to go. As soon as he gets the first goal, I’m sure that will settle him and he’ll score a good few.

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“He was playing in the Premier League a few years ago and that’s good for all of us. The way he is in training, you can see he’s so sharp. He’s still got a bit of a way to go fitness-wise. It’s unbelievable for all of us, especially me playing up in that attacking area. Hopefully we can get a few assists and goals together.”

Despite his slow start at Dalymount Park, and Bohs sitting second-bottom of the LOI Premier Division table with two wins and six defeats from their opening eight games, Mousset remains a popular figure with supporters of his new side. “We all got giddy when we saw his goal in pre-season, and flashes of what he did at United,” O’Reilly added.

“The goals against Arsenal and the one against Man United, particularly. I think we’re all waiting for him to get trim and fit but he's been training for about two months now, and not much has changed. He's not earning much in comparison to top League of Ireland players ... it's very much about him being here to play football and get his career back on track.”

To listen to the recent edition of the Bohemians fan podcast, where the hosts discuss Mousset’s situation, search “One Up Top” wherever you get your podcasts or find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OneUpTopPodcast.