Sheffield United set for financial bonus from Leeds United promotion as Chris Wilder admits "jealousy"

Sheffield United’s disappointment at being consigned to the Championship play-offs this season will not be offset too much by a financial bonus they are set to receive as a result of Leeds United’s automatic promotion to the Premier League. Both Leeds and Burnley sealed their top-flight places on Monday evening after the Clarets beat the Blades at Turf Moor.

That result means that United will have to navigate the play-offs if they are to join their rivals at the top table of English football next season. United have now lost four of their last five games and will be desperate to regain some positive momentum in the last two games of the regular season, away at Stoke City and at home to Blackburn Rovers, before entering the play-off lottery.

While United’s play-off record is awful, with the Blades looking for their first success this season at the 10th time of asking, boss Chris Wilder has experience of gaining promotion via that route from his time at Oxford United and as he faced the media at Turf Moor, with the noise of Burnley’s celebrations coming through the press room walls, he spoke determinedly about ending the Blades’ long hoodoo.

“I’ve had nights like this, so I’m jealous and we all should be,” Wilder, whose side can finish the season on 92 points with two wins in their final two games, said of Burnley and Leeds’ celebrations. “But both teams have deserved it. They have been incredible and outstanding. Both teams have the ability to get 100 points and we have the ability, on points per game, to get into the 90s.

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“So that has to be the target. It should not be looked at as a failure and it certainly won’t be [internally]. It’s a disappointment we have not pushed it tighter. But at Huddersfield away, a week before the start of the season, our team had an under-21 feel.

“We’ve got to use nights like this as fuel and motivation. Reset, try and get to 90 points and then see if we have a night like Leeds United and Burnley have had tonight.”

Leeds United promotion offers financial windfall for Sheffield United

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It will be little consolation to Wilder and his players but Leeds’ promotion is expected to boost the Bramall Lane coffers, with the Blades understood to have included a number of add-ons in the deal which took Jayden Bogle to Elland Road in the summer for an initial £5m. It proved to be money well spent as the full-back played a key role in Leeds’ season, while the Blades never really managed to replace his departure at such a key time in pre-season.

Bogle, who also caught the eye during Leeds’ celebrations last night as he danced along to an uncomplimentary chant about his former manager Wilder, also won promotion during his time at Bramall Lane but said: "It's amazing and to do it with this club, it makes it 10 times better. You can see the support, you can hear the noise. So it's an amazing experience and something I've never had before."