Chris Wilder is back at Sheffield United for a third time as manager, three months after he was sacked to make way for Ruben Selles.
Wilder replaces Selles who was dismissed on Sunday following the Blades’ 5-0 thrashing at Ipswich, which left them bottom of the Championship with no points.
Wilder, who turns 58 next week, was sacked by United’s American owners, COH Sports, after they lost to Sunderland in the Championship play-off at Wembley.
COH Sports have reappointed Wilder on a contract until 2027 after Selles’ calamitous spell as the former Southampton, Reading and Hull boss lost all six of his matches in charge.
“Chris Wilder returns with proven leadership and an unparalleled understanding of Sheffield United,” a statement read on the club’s website.
“We are confident he is the right person to restore momentum, unite the squad and supporters, and deliver the results necessary to achieve our objectives this season.”
Club legend Wilder back again after three months
After supporting the Blades as a child, Wilder’s professional relationship with the club began almost 40 years ago as a player in 1986.
The former defender spent six years at Bramall Lane before leaving to join Rotherham and then returned for a brief spell in 1998.
After winning promotion as a manager at Oxford and Northampton, Wilder began his first spell as United boss in 2016 and steered them to the League One title in his first season.
The Blades finished runners-up in the Championship in 2019, sealing a return to the Premier League for the first time since 2007 under Neil Warnock.
They excelled in their first season back in the top tier, beating Everton, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea on the way to finishing ninth, their best placing since 1975.
United nosedived the following season and Wilder left with the club bottom of the top flight in March 2021.
Wilder had spells at Middlesbrough and Watford before returning to Bramall Lane in December 2023 to succeed Paul Heckingbottom with the club again bottom of the Premier League.
He could not save the side from relegation, but he amassed 90 points to finish third last season before enduring the heartbreak of a play-off defeat to a Sunderland side whose winner came in stoppage time.
[BBC]