"Not a handout" - Chris Wilder's challenge to young Sheffield United stars after Iliman Ndiaye's promotion

With a mixture of injury and illness causing a raft of absentees at United in recent weeks, Ndiaye made the bench against Plymouth in the FA Cup on Saturday while the likes of Antwoine Hackford and Kyron Gordon have also travelled with United's first team.

Hackford became United's youngest-ever Premier League player when he made his debut off the bench at Crystal Palace, and United's poor form this season has led to calls from some supporters for more youngsters - including the likes of Zak Brunt and Tunisian youth international Hassan Ayari - to be given their chance in the top flight.

And Wilder said: "We'd have liked to have got Iliman on the pitch, but it's not a handout for him.

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"He's deserved an opportunity to be involved by doing well with the U23s and we have some really good people in the academy.

"It's a little bit off other teams' academies and people have to recognise where we are from a mentality point of view as well, with the run we've been on and the points tally we have.

"It's really difficult to put young players in, they've got to be ready and good enough."

With a group of youngsters including Regan Slater, Tyler Smith and George Broadbent out on loan at professional clubs, United field a very young U23 group compared to their fellow clubs.

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But United's youth side, under the guidance of head of academy Jack Lester and U23 lead coach Paul Heckingbottom, are second in their league table ahead of Tuesday evening's mini-derby with Barnsley.

"There's a lot of work to be done at the club, on a lot of fronts," Wilder added.

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"Not just the first team, but it'll be good for Iliyan and be good for the other young players to see Antwoine step on the pitch at Palace and a couple of other boys have been involved in first-team training and sat on the bench in recent weeks.

"Hopefully out of the group that Jack and Paul are working with, some of them will push through."

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