Chris Wilder's heartfelt tribute to Sheffield United "all-timer" Chris Basham after future prediction

Chris Wilder has paid a heartfelt tribute to Sheffield United legend Chris Basham after the former Blades defender announced his retirement from playing recently. Basham, 36, left Bramall Lane earlier this summer and called time on his playing career after the sickening injury he suffered away at Fulham almost a year ago.

It was not the way Basham’s United time should have come to an end, after 10 years of loyal service in South Yorkshire, and his retirement announcement sparked a flurry of messages for a midfielder-turned-defender who captured both hearts and minds at United. A survivor of the painful Nigel Adkins season, when United finished 11th in League One, Basham helped the Blades win two promotions in the space of three campaigns and shone in the Premier League too.

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As popular in the dressing room as he was on the terraces, Basham’s departure left a big hole at United but he is one player that will always be welcomed back with open arms. “I've got to say, he's up there with my favourite players of all time to play for this football club,” said Wilder. “I’ve had the pleasure to manage him, and he’s an absolute diamond.

“We discussed and debated things, of course, but never had any issue with Bash right the way through. I never had to motivate him or get him going. I possibly had to tell him to stop doing Cryuff turns at Spurs, when he had two or three players breathing down his neck and he came away with the ball. I thought: ‘You're not going to get away with that all the time!’

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“But I’m delighted and sad at the same time. A great career has come to an end, and people should recognise that, I think. We definitely should as a football club. And what he's done for Sheffield United has been amazing. He was part of a great period and one of the main actors in there. Yeah, it's come to an end and in a way that no-one would have ever wanted.

“But his attitude to it all was: ‘If it was going to happen, I'd rather it happened now than when I was 19, 20 or 21.’ He's had a great career and for me, he'll go down as a legend. Listen, it's us. We're not Man City or Liverpool or Barcelona or Real Madrid. But he'll go down, for me, through watching him and managing him, as one of the all-timers for me.”

Basham has already taken some next steps into a post-playing world, with a spot of punditry for local radio at United’s trip to Preston North End earlier this season and then a stint on Sky Sports News recently alongside Jamie O’Hara.

“Even in the couple of disappointing seasons, he gave everything for the shirt and the badge,” Wilder added. “He wore the shirt and he made it light himself. He was never one to duck anything, always stepped into things and gave it his all. Whatever position he played. Never an issue about contracts or not getting this or he's getting that. He just got on with it.

“So he was really good, from that point of view. Whatever he wants to do, I'm sure he'll be a success. If he wants to go down the coaching route, he's got the personality. Nothing's going to be handed to him, which I keep saying and winds me up a little bit. When these ex-pros go listen, I'm going to be a manager one day and I'll do my badges. It's a little bit more than doing your badges. He's got to go and do the hard yards and put the miles in on that one. But he's definitely got the qualities.”

Bassett's Lane legacy lives on as trailblazer hits another milestone And the qualities, too, to establish a successful career in the media. “I'll tell you what, he's not bad as a pundit either,” Wilder said. “I didn't know he had that in him. He looked good and sounded good. I even texted him while he was on air just to try and ruffle him up a bit! I thought: ‘I'm going to try and wind him up a little bit.’

“But I thought he was great, outstanding. And from what I saw of him on Sunday, with Jamie O'Hara on Sky Sports in the studio, I thought it was effortless. He was a natural. So if he wants to go down that road, I'm sure that he'll be a success in whatever he does.”