Chris Wilder makes future manager admission as Sheffield United aim to preserve key strength

He has no intention of hanging up his jacket just yet but when the time comes for Chris Wilder to move on from the Sheffield United dugout, he believes there’s a chance it could be a familiar face replacing him. The Blades chief is keen to restore a sense of identity that was at risk of being lost last summer.

That is helped by his presence in the dugout but also by the sight of academy products in the first-team, with the likes of Femi Seriki, Sydie Peck and Andre Brooks establishing themselves as first-team regulars this season and Oliver Arblaster making his way back after a serious knee injury.

United are also keen to retain their link with the past off the pitch as well. It’s not about being insular and focusing on what has happened, at the expense of what comes next; more a sense of knowing what you are and what the best version looks like.

It’s something United’s Yorkshire rivals up the M1 do very well, with Wilder admitting: “I want that link. When you go to Leeds United and see all those ex-players there, when I see Carl Bradshaw, Mitch Ward, Peter Duffield and TC [Tony Currie] at Bramall Lane, I think it's massive.

“I'm majoring on that. In my opinion there should be a connection with the older boys that have played here. If you look at our academy coaches, Dukey [Matt Duke, goalkeeping coach] played here as a kid and Micky Collins and Gary McSheffrey have been in our academy, and are with the first team now.

Chris Wilder makes Sheffield United future manager admission as Blades look to preserve key strength

"There needs to be a pathway. Is this a culture club? One hundred per cent. When the time's up for me, do the club look to promote from within on a lot of fronts? Maybe this seat might be occupied by someone who's been through our academy, knows what the football club's about, and has been through the first team.”

Earlier this season Steve Rosen, the co-owner of United, teased a return for legendary striker Billy Sharp in a coaching role and it was something Wilder admitted he wouldn’t be averse to as he looks to ensure the DNA of the club is passed down to those lucky enough to wear the shirt on matchdays.

But that doesn’t mean the scope of United’s recruitment, whether on the pitch or on the coaching staff, is limited to those who grew up in and around S2. Portuguese coach Guilherme Ramos was added to Wilder’s staff back in September while the Blades are still assessing options from abroad in the upcoming transfer market as they look to reshape their squad.