Shane McLoughlin proved his worth to Cambridge United during his hour on the pitch in last night’s 1-1 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.

The 29-year-old had not played for the U’s since the second game of the season away at Bromley due to a calf injury.

But he returned to the fold at Hillsborough, and played a crucial role in the heart of the United midfield before being replaced by Shayne Lavery.

And as far as head coach Neil Harris is concerned, those are the type of games where McLoughlin is so important.

Harris said: “I put him in away at Chesterfield last year against a team that was in the best form in League Two. They were flying high at the time and pushing to go past us.

“We knew it was going to be a shape game, and we knew Chesterfield had talented players. We needed players that were going to make really good decisions, and he did that night.

“And that’s why he’s at our football club. It’s not to come and play 40 games, he’s probably not realistically going to start 25 games, is he? He’s had a mid-term injury already, and we’ll have to hope to try to keep him fit.

“But he’s here for games like tonight where his game understanding, his knowledge of how and when to press, when to drop, when to defend and cover is just class. That’s why he played.”

McLoughlin has made 30 appearances for Cambridge since he arrived from Newport County in the summer of 2025.