Editing Jon Stead (section)

===Sheffield United===
Stead was signed by [[Sheffield United F.C.|Sheffield United]] from Sunderland for a fee of £750,000, potentially rising to £1.2 million, on a three-and-a-half-year deal on 11 January 2007.<ref name="Blades sign Stead from Sunderland">{{cite news| title = Blades sign Stead from Sunderland| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/s/sheff_utd/6247957.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 11 January 2007| access-date = 22 April 2007}}</ref>

On 13 January 2007, Stead played his first Premier League game with Sheffield United against [[Portsmouth F.C.|Portsmouth]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Tactical Formation|work=Football-Lineups.com
|url=http://www.football-lineups.com/wiki/_match3157.php | access-date=20 January 2007 }}</ref> and scored his first goal for the Blades a few weeks later, in his third game, against [[Fulham F.C.|Fulham]].<ref name="blades goal">{{cite news| title = Sheff Utd 2–0 Fulham| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6309093.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 30 January 2007| access-date = 1 September 2008}}</ref> He would go on to score again for the Blades in the next match against his former club [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] where Stead's muted celebration further endeared him to the Rovers fans, who remained grateful for the considerable contribution he had made during the relegation scrap in 2004.

He scored a respectable five goals in total that season, the final of which came on the last day of the season against [[Wigan Athletic F.C.|Wigan Athletic]] on 12 May, but his goal wasn't enough to prevent United from being relegated.<ref name="relegation">{{cite news| title = Sheff Utd 1–2 Wigan| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6627849.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 14 May 2007| access-date = 1 September 2008}}</ref>

Stead found first team starts harder to come by the following season as he fell behind [[James Beattie (footballer)|James Beattie]] and [[Billy Sharp]] in the pecking order but still managed to make over thirty appearances and score six goals. During the subsequent transfer window Stead signed on loan for [[EFL Championship|Championship]] rivals [[Ipswich Town F.C.|Ipswich Town]] with a view to a permanent move.<ref name="Ipswich Loan">{{cite news| title = Stead signs for Ipswich on loan| url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/i/ipswich_town/7592359.stm| publisher = BBC Sport| date = 1 September 2008| access-date = 1 September 2008}}</ref>