The Sheffield United plans that will be BY FAR their most important summer spend

So, to clear up any confusion or avoid his words being misinterpreted, he sought to clarify what he meant before boarding the coach to Southampton where his players would bring down the curtain on another memorable campaign.

So fast has been their progress, Wilder said during Friday’s pre-match briefing, that United’s infrastructure has been left behind. Bramall Lane might be a proud old stadium. The 52-year-old’s squad, after finishing ninth in the table despite, looks in damn good shape too. But their training complex, well, that’s a different matter. One half, where the academy sides are based, remains in decent nick. The other, which houses those directly under Wilder’s command, is painted over, patched up and, given the company they are now keeping, no longer fit for purpose.

Although supporters will inevitably spend the next month or so scouring the papers for news of potential new signings, the announcement that a brand new base for their senior professionals is being constructed at the Steelphalt Academy is possibly the most important United will make all summer. Because, not only does it demonstrate they are serious about using their double-quick rise through the divisions to create a legacy, but it should also help them become an even more desirable destination for some of the game’s leading talent.

Put simply, Wilder and his players spend more time at the site near Shirecliffe than they do inside their home ground. And the results they achieve there are the product of the long hours they put in perfecting their tactics, strategies and techniques on expertly manicured pitches which are overlooked, as Wilder revealed during one recent interview, by a building which has barely changed since the days it was used a social club by workers from a local steel firm.

“It’s spit and sawdust,” Wilder said. “We’re not embarrassed by it and we’re there to get our hands dirty. But in terms of the intensity of the Premier League, the recovery being key and video analysis going through the roof, these are things we need to keep pace."

The upgrade is designed to rectify a situation whereby probably half of the clubs in the Championship boast better training areas than United who, when Wilder was appointed four years ago, were still competing in League One.

Not only will it provide a better working environment for those promoted twice since then but it could also aid recruitment - with many players now asking to inspect where they could potentially be preparing for fixtures before making a decision on who to join.

It also sends a message to those already in situ but likely to be courted by others that United are serious about improving rather than simply resting on their laurels.

“Hopefully people will look at us and see that we’re trying to go about it the right way,” Wilder said.