Yesterday, the Blades' chief executive Stephen Bettis revealed that the club have narrowed their search down to five key candidates, and claimed: “The process of searching for a new manager to lead Sheffield United next season and beyond continues and remains the biggest priority at Bramall Lane.
“When Paul Heckingbottom was placed as interim manager back in March, we commented that he would remain in charge of team matters until the end of the season. The reason for this is that it would give us the time to thoroughly explore every option available to us.
“That remains the case. We have spoken to a number of potential candidates, both in this country and abroad, and will continue to do so in the best possible interests of the club, due diligence is an important factor as we strive to appoint the right person to enable us to make a promotion push from the EFL Championship.
“We have now cut our search down to a shortlist of five candidates, which includes Paul Heckingbottom, who has performed commendably in the circumstances, and the board of directors will continue to take time to deliberate whilst the current season remains in progress.”
Here's a look at the latest favourites to become the next Sheffield United manager, as the Blades continue to whittle down the candidates to become Chris Wilder's successor:
1. Roy Keane - Current odds: 33/1
Current job: Football pundit. Previous job: Ipswich Town. Current career win percentage: 38.7% Photo: Catherine Ivill
2. Neil Warnock - Current odds: 33/1
Current job: Middlesbrough. Previous job: Cardiff City. Current career win percentage: 40.2% Photo: Jacques Feeney
3. Michael Appleton - Current odds: 33/1
Current job: Lincoln City. Previous job: Oxford United. Current career win percentage: 40% Photo: Naomi Baker
4. Mark Hughes - Current odds: 33/1
Current job: Pundit. Previous job: Southampton. Current career win percentage: 37.4% Photo: Dan Istitene