More should be done to punish the trolls and police social media, Sheffield United manager demands, after striker David McGoldrick is racially abused

Speaking for the first time about the incident, which occurred after McGoldrick scored twice during the 3-0 win over Chelsea last weekend, Wilder admitted it was “probably best” if he kept his idea about what constituted an appropriate sanction for the offender to himself.

But he also called for the rules governing how internet and tech giants operate to change, making them more accountable for material published on their sites.

“It’s ridiculous that these things are still happening,” Wilder said. “More has to be done by the people who power these media outlets to help the police and punish people.

“We’ve all been victims of it, doing the job we do. But that doesn’t make it right. It's got to be dealt with severely. I’m a big believer in education but there also has to be a price to pay. Maybe it’s a little bit extreme what I’d like to happen. I’ll keep my opinions about what that is to myself.”

South Yorkshire Police launched an investigation into the matter when McGoldrick posted the obscene message he had received on one of his own accounts. Confirming he will speak personally with the player ahead of Thursday’s visit to Leicester City, Wilder praised the bravery of both the Republic of Ireland international and Wilfried Zaha - who has also been the victim of similar abuse in recent days - for speaking out publicly.

“Knowing what the player and the person is about, he has my full support and the club’s full support," Wilder said. "He's an intelligent guy, a fabulous footballer and more importantly a great human being to work with.”

“Any sort of abuse. Why should anyone be abused? I don’t get it,” Wilder continued. “There should be a lot more done by the regulators to stop it. I’m not surprised David flagged it up and I’m not surprised Wilf flagged it up. They're very brave in what they do.”

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