How Sheffield United managed to mix it with the big boys of the Premier League

After ending their 12 year absence from top-flight competition last term, United had climbed to seventh in the table and reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup before the season was suspended on Friday morning due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Reflecting upon the remarkable progress of his squad, Wilder acknowledged: “There were a few nerves, as you’d expect, about what we were stepping into back then. But those didn’t last and, when the matches got closer, they went. They boys were just looking forward to it then. They wanted to show what they could do themselves and that’s the mentality they’ve got.”

“They’ve taken that mindset with them all the way through,” he added. “They’ve not got caught up in all the hype. They’ve just looked at what has been in front of them and focused on that.

“They haven’t been playing the names on the back of the shirts. Just the people in front of them.”

Despite losing twice to both leaders Liverpool and second-placed Manchester City, United's performances during those fixtures won praise from Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, with the latter describing how he had tailored his own tactics to combat the threat Wilder's men pose.

"We've tried to do it in our own way," Wilder said. "Do what's best for us and our strengths."