Chris Wilder hopes Sheffield United's FA Cup heartache can finally be put to rest

The current Blades boss was at Old Trafford in 2003 when Neil Warnock's United controversially lost 1-0 to Arsenal in the semi-final, and watched from the Wembley stands 11 years later when Nigel Clough's men were beaten at the same stage in a 5-3 thriller against Hull City.

Before then United suffered possibly the most heartbreaking defeat of them all - losing to bitter rivals Wednesday in extra-time of the 1993 semi-final at Wembley - before another semi defeat five years later, to Newcastle and Alan Shearer.

Wilder had left United just before the 1993 semi-final and was a Bradford player when the Blades sealed their semi-final place in 1998, by beating Coventry on penalties in the quarter-final.

Steve Thompson, United's manager at the time, remembers a fan joining thousands of others invading the pitch and jumping all over him. When he turned round, he realised it was Wilder.

Some years on, Wilder is now in the hotseat of his beloved club and sealed a first quarter-final place since 2014 earlier this week, when Billy Sharp's extra-time winner helped beat Reading 2-1.

“I have had plenty of heartache [in the FA Cup], don’t worry about that!" Wilder said.

"Anyone who has followed this football club for the last 25 years will be the same.

“To achieve Premier League status was brilliant for the club. Same with what we’ve done recently, and from a personal point of view I am just looking to the next challenge.

"But this [the cup run] is an opportunity for us. Of course it is. We can’t dress it up and say anything different.

"I'm a traditionalist. Everything else comes with winning games but the be all and end all is proving it on the pitch, in any game. League or cup.

"We've got some huge tests ahead of us but anything can happen."