Chris Wilder makes big admission over his Sheffield United future amid major next-chapter plans after writing more history
Chris Wilder makes Sheffield United future admission amid major next-chapter plans
His Sheffield United legacy is already well and truly secure, but Chris Wilder added another chapter to it at the weekend - after insisting: “I want to be part of this club’s future for a lot longer.” Wilder extended his own unbeaten run against rivals Wednesday to eight games as Blades boss on Sunday.
The 2-1 victory, courtesy of goals from Patrick Bamford and Harrison Burrows, also saw United complete the double-double for the first time since the 1950s and also officially condemn their city rivals to relegation to League One.
Before the game Wilder insisted either scenario did not play on his mind too much but it only further cements his position as the greatest manager in the Blades’ modern history, with only his mentor and predecessor Dave Bassett really running him close in many supporters’ lifetimes.
There is still plenty for the Blades to play for this season, with Sunday’s win moving them within six points of the play-offs with 13 games to go. In the medium-to-long term there is also further work going on to keep United progressing, including more work on the new training facility at Dore.
That project is no longer on hold and United are moving forward with their plans after appointing architects, the same ones who designed Leicester City’s fabled facility - which includes a nine-hole golf course - and Tottenham Hotspur’s base.
United’s won’t be that salubrious, but it also doesn’t need to be. They need something that works for them and fits the profile of a club that has taken huge strides on and off the pitch since Wilder was first appointed in 2016.
Chris Wilder makes Sheffield United future admission amid major next-chapter plans
And he is insistent that he has no plans to wind down just yet. “I'd like to be involved for a lot longer,” he admitted. “I want to be part of the future, of course. There's no desire for me to work anywhere else.
“I've got a job to do. I had a job to do coming back [in September, with United bottom of the table and without a win] and turning our fortunes around, with the help of Alan [Knill, assistant manager] and Matt [Prestridge, coach] and the other coaches.
“And most importantly the players. The backing I've had from the supporters has been incredible yet again, and humbling as well. Moments like Sunday afternoon, they're just memorable moments
“At 12 o'clock, walking out for Sheffield derby ... it's everything I've always wished for, personally. Where the club is at the moment, position-wise in the league, we want that to improve. But we're together as a football club.”
A number of United staff are involved in the planning of the new facility, even down to the flow of the building and where players will enter and exit. It will allow United to move away from the Shirecliffe base they have occupied for decades but also turn the former working mans’ club site into a dedicated academy base, furthering their ambition to become a category one academy.
“In terms of the planning, of course, I've given my input and experience,” Wilder added. “But there are a lot of good people on it. We won't shortcut anything. It's not going to be nine holes like Leicester’s and cost £100m, but it'll be good for Sheffield United.
“We've been banging on about it for quite a while now. It's just fabulous up here [at Shirecliffe]. It's got a gritty feeling, I get that, but we're moving forward. The times are changing. The players that we're trying to attract, the players that we want to work with to improve their game in a fast-moving industry and, most importantly, giving the opportunity for the academy to go to Cat One.
“It's huge. A lot of people are working on it, a lot of thought will be going into it but if I can add my little bit then great.
“I know Steve [Bettis, chief executive] wants it to be spot on and top drawer for the amount that we invest in it. I'm sure it will be, and hopefully there’ll be a bright future ahead for the young boys and the club as a whole.”