Chris Wilder Leads Sheffield United Training Ahead of Expected Third Stint
Former manager returns to take charge after Ruben Selles was sacked following six straight Championship defeats
Chris Wilder took training with Sheffield United on Monday as he prepares for a third spell in charge of the club, Daily Mail Sport reported.
Ruben Selles was dismissed after his side lost six consecutive Championship matches, including a 5-0 defeat at Ipswich Town on Friday that left the Blades bottom of the table. Wilder, who was relieved of his duties by United 89 days ago, is understood to be set to return in an attempt to arrest the club’s poor start to the season.
Wilder’s expected appointment follows growing unrest among supporters, with reports that fans had been chanting for Selles to go as early as August. The decision to relieve Selles of his duties came after a run of defeats that left Sheffield United bottom of the Championship. Selles had previously helped steer Hull City to safety in his most recent job prior to joining United.
Wilder is no stranger to the club or its highs and lows. A Stocksbridge native who represented Sheffield United as a player across two spells, he twice led the Blades to promotion from the Championship. His first spell culminated in promotion to the Premier League in 2019 and a ninth-place finish in the 2019–20 top-flight season; he left the club in March 2021 with United bottom of the division.
He returned to Bramall Lane for a second time in December 2023 when United were struggling in the Premier League but was unable to preserve their top-flight status. Last season, Wilder guided the Blades to third place in the Championship and a total of 90 points, but they lost 2-1 to Sunderland in the play-off final when Thomas Watson scored a 95th-minute winner.
Were Wilder to guide Sheffield United back to the Premier League this season, he would be the first manager to take a team that had lost its opening five Championship matches to promotion, illustrating the scale of the challenge ahead. The club’s board acted swiftly after the Ipswich defeat, opting to make a change as they seek to halt a slump that has left expectations and morale diminished.
Club officials have not released an immediate statement confirming Wilder’s appointment or the details of any contract. The return would extend a complicated relationship between manager and club: Wilder’s previous successes are balanced by high-profile departures and a mixed record in the Premier League.
For supporters and players alike, the reinstatement of a familiar figure offers the prospect of stability and a managerial voice closely associated with the club’s most successful recent period. Sheffield United face a critical run of fixtures in the coming weeks, and Wilder’s immediate focus will be on steadying a squad that has yet to collect a point this season.
Further announcements from Sheffield United are expected to follow once contractual formalities are concluded and the club confirms the managerial appointment.