How Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder was shaped by Brighton and Hove Albion

The Goldstone Ground had been demolished. The support base was disillusioned after spending two seasons traipsing 75 miles to Priestfield. Lodging with Gillingham had proved such a draining experience that news of their return to the city - albeit at the soulless Withdean Stadium - provoked the type of celebration not seen since Jimmy Melia’s ice-white loafers made their debut on the touchline.

Chris Wilder had cause to remember them earlier this week, as his squad prepared for tomorrow’s meeting with the visitors from Sussex. Plenty has been written about Sheffield United’s manager this season. But the story of his time on the south coast, during a brief loan spell with Albion, had been largely overlooked. Until Wilder, thanks to a little gentle prompting, took a trip down Memory Lane during his latest pre-match press conference.

“It was good,” he said. “I really enjoyed it, even though it was a really difficult period in my playing career.

“I’d just come out of United, been given a free transfer by Steve Bruce, and got invited down there because of a connection before signing a short-term contract.”

The intermediary, Wilder acknowledged, was United’s former physio Derek French; a friend of Micky Adams, who was in charge of Albion at the time. Adams, like Wilder a lifelong United supporter, would also later go on to manage the club he has followed since childhood. But back then he was busy steering Albion through one of the most important periods in their history.

“You had to appreciate the fans, who not long earlier had been travelling so far just to go and watch a home game,” Wilder said, admitting his experiences on the south coast helped shape his approach to the game now. “We’ve talked about mis-management in the past, and the importance of being responsible and careful with money. You see sad and terrible cases of teams going out of the Football League altogether because of that, because they’ve over-spent or people haven’t done due diligence. They get themselves into awful situations.”

“Then, there is the other one where you look at a team like Brighton,” continued Wilder. “An established First Division club, as it was back then, who had the chance to win the cup and came so close to doing it.

“It’s such fine margins. Within 15 years or so, they’re trying to stay in the league on the final day of the season and having to play their games in Gillingham. I’m delighted to see clubs like that pick themselves up off the canvas and get up and running again.”

Albion, like United, have enjoyed a remarkable upturn in fortune since reaching their lowest ebb. Wilder’s employers, who were languishing in League One when he was first appointed, are sixth in the Premier League table with 12 matches remaining. Their opponents, after securing promotion to the top-flight three years ago, now stages their fixtures in a purpose-built state-of-the-art arena bankrolled by their owner Tony Bloom.

Although Bloom, a betting entrepreneur and professional poker player, has been credited with Albion’s rise, Wilder insists it is important to also note Adams’ contribution. Indeed, despite admitting his spell at the helm of United proved unsuccessful - he was unable to prevent United being relegated from the Championship in 2011 - Wilder remains an admirer of his predecessor.

“To get the club to where they are now, an enormous amount of credit should go to the chairman at the time (Dick Knight) and Micky, because they gave them those small steps that put them on the journey to the Premier League,” Wilder said.

“Micky was great and I really enjoyed my time with him. He was a tough guy, but there were no corners cut.

“Whenever I’ve been asked about my own time as a manager, I always say I’ve picked up little bits and pieces from everyone I’ve worked under and I definitely took a lot from him.”

“I know it was difficult for Micky here,” Wilder added, reflecting upon Adams’ five month stint at Bramall Lane. “I know how desperate he was to do well here but sometimes, if a manager isn’t successful, it’s not always about them and any short-comings people might think they have.

“Sometimes, it’s just a case of ‘right place, wrong time’. Micky is an enormously talented manager, who has worked at the highest level, and he’s someone I still keep in contact with.”

Wilder played 13 games for Albion before accepting an invitation to join Halifax, where he would go on to begin his own managerial career.

“Possibly looking back, I should have stayed a little bit longer,” Wilder conceded. “But the lure of Sheffield, being able to live there again, and the north was too strong.”

United beat Albion in December, thanks to Oli McBurnie’s goal midway through the first-half.

Wilder warned their latest clash, which is set to be watched by some recognisable figures from the past, is likely to prove just as tense as that pre-Christmas encounter with Graham Potter’s side.

“They’ve got very good players, a very talented manager and a chairman who is very ambitious,” Wilder said. “I made some great relationships at Brighton and a few people, Warren Aspinall, Paul Rogers - another old United player I worked with down there - and a couple of other boys are coming. Paul Watson, our physio, was in that team as well.

“So from a personal point of view I’m looking forward to it, because I’ve got really fond memories of my time down there.”