Chris Wilder’s Sheffield United exit was confirmed on Wednesday after the Blades’ Championship play-off final defeat and his successor has already been confirmed
Chris Wilder’s second Sheffield United spell has come to an end(Image: PA)
Sheffield United wasted little time appointing their new manager after Chris Wilder’s exit. Just 45 minutes passed between Wilder’s departure being announced and Ruben Selles being confirmed as his successor.
Selles arrives just weeks after leaving his post at Hull City. The Spaniard kept the Tigers in the Championship on the final day but that wasn’t enough to keep him in a job.
It is a fourth job in English football for Selles, who previously held coaching roles in countries including Denmark, Azerbaijan and his native Spain. He spent a few months at Southampton in the 2022-23 season, failing to keep them in the Premier League, and spent the best part of 18 months at Reading before his Hull stint.
“When we first heard about the possibility of coming here, it was a no brainer for us to join a club with this kind of history and with a mission to move forward and try to be even more competitive,” Selles told club media. “This is a very powerful and ambitious project. It was very important at the start of the conversations that everyone is on the same page.
“We need to embrace data and new technologies, but the most important thing is not to forget the football essence. I think we are capable of delivering a good model and optimise our performance by using all the tools that we have.
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He continued: “Our identity is always very clear. We want to be aggressive, we want to make things happen. So, the fans can expect a team which is not going to wait or be reactive, we will be proactive, we are going to go and try and be as competitive as we can in every single game. If we can do that then we’ll give ourselves a very good chance of winning games.”
Sheffield United finished third in the Championship under Wilder last season as they tried to bounce straight back up to the top-flight. They overcame Bristol City in their play-off semi-final but fell short against Sunderland in the final thanks to a late Tommy Watson winner.
Ruben Selles during his time at Hull City(Image: PA)
Wilder, who was managing Sheffield United for a second time after a stint between 2016 and 2021, sent the club his best wishes for the future. He also reserved some words for the club’s fanbase in a smessage shared on United’s website.
“To the fans, I’m obviously disappointed to be leaving, particularly because we were so close to getting back to the Premier League,” he said. “I’m a Sheffielder through and through, I love this club and this city and that feeling will never change.
“I depart with some cherished memories and feel proud to be talked about in the same manner that special Sheffield United managers are remembered – leading this team over 300 times will remain an incredible part of my life. This is a heartfelt thank you for all your support.”
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