Sheffield United hope to announce more new deals after completing a superb hat-trick

Speaking before the season was suspended in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Wilder indicated defenders Chris Basham and John Egan will also be invited to the negotiating table after helping his side climb to seventh in the tabe.

John Lundstram, the former Oxford midfielder, opened talks with Bramall Lane’s hierarchy earlier this term - with the United manager telling The Star he planned to trigger a clause extending the 26-year-old’s agreement by a further 12 months before it expires later this summer.

Although the finances of many top-flight clubs have been adversely affected by the global health crisis, Wilder insisted he still plans to strengthen the options at his disposal when the transfer window eventually reopens.

But given their results since gaining promotion from the Championship - they will climb to fifth in the table if they beat Aston Villa at Villa Park - United are also keen to ensure a team which is challenging for European football on two different fronts remains intact moving forward.

"David is an important member of the group and he gives us something a little bit different in terms of linking up the way we play,” Wilder said, after announcing McGoldrick’s contract has been extended until 2022. "We're looking forward to working with him further for the next couple of years and it's important we keep the continuity going too.

“We're going to be looking to strengthen at the end of the season when the new window opens and it's important to make sure we're always improving.”

"We're working hard to make that happen, but it's also important we keep our core group together,” Wilder, speaking to United’s official website, added. “David's been a part of that for two years now, off the pitch he's a tremendous influence and on the pitch his performances speak for themselves."

McGoldrick, aged 32, was a free agent when he joined United in the summer of 2018 after leaving Ipswich Town. He has made 67 appearances since, including 21 in the PL, scoring 16 goals. McGoldrick's performances in South Yorkshire have also seen him earn a Republic of Ireland recall, where he plays alongside his United colleagues Egan and Enda Stevens.

Wilder, who also tied John Fleck and Stevens to new long-term deals before competition ground to a halt, said: "It's like waiting for a bus, you wait for one then three come all of a sudden. I'm delighted for David and from the club's perspective we talk about rewarding and Didzy's been brilliant for us.

"Like Ollie and the skipper, we think David's got a lot more to give this football club. He's been outstanding since he walked through the door, he's enjoying his football and for me it's been a great week."

An important message:

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news, please purchase a copy of our newspapers or subscribe to thestar.co.uk.

The coronavirus lockdown is having a major impact on many of our local advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive. That means we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers and subscribe to our website during this crisis.

Stay safe and take care. Thank you. James.