Chris Wilder will take charge of Sheffield United for the first time in his second spell tonight when the Blades host Liverpool at Bramall Lane. Wilder returned to United earlier this week after the sacking of Paul Heckingbottom, with the Blades bottom of the Premier League table.
He is no stranger to adversity at his boyhood club, however, having taken over the first time on the back of them finishing 11th in League One under Nigel Adkins. But what happened to the players who made up his first-ever squad, who were defeated in his first game away at Bolton Wanderers in August 2016? Let's take a look...
5. Chris Hussey
An early Wilder signing, Hussey began as his first-choice left-back before falling out of favour. Was loaned out to Swindon before joining Cheltenham on a permanent basis. Last seen at Southern League Premier Division Central Stratford Town and has now started a PhD – something he descries as “surreal” after leaving school with one GCSE Photo: Simon Bellis
6. Mark Duffy
Best known at Bramall Lane for ‘that’ goal against Wednesday, Duffy was an inspired free-transfer signing and helped the Blades to two promotions in three years. Played for Stoke City and ADO Den Haag on loan from United and retired from professional football to take up a coaching career. Was sacked by Macclesfield earlier this year and also has an interest in properties Photo: Nigel Roddis/Getty Images
7. Chris Basham
Still at Bramall Lane and still a Sheffield Unted hero having come up from League One with the Blades. Currently recovering from a horror injury sustained at Fulham earlier this season
8. John Fleck
Still at United and part of Wilder’s first-team squad, all these years after he signed him on a free from Coventry