Chris Wilder speaks on making a return to Sheffield United for a third spell as their manager just three months on from his sacking.
He replaces Rubén Selles, who was sacked after a poor start to the EFL Championship season and has signed a contract until summer 2027.
The board want to stabilise performances and boost promotion chances, while Wilder, with a deep connection to the club, aims to restore pride and momentum, leveraging the talented squad.
He spoke of player responsibility and a return to the club’s successful culture, starting with the upcoming match against Charlton Athletic.
Chris Wilder has returned to Bramall Lane. ⚔️
He has signed a contract until the summer of 2027 to kick-off a third spell as Sheffield United manager. 🤝
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) September 15, 2025
CW with his squad 👋 pic.twitter.com/tnfIiOgo6J
— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) September 16, 2025
CLUB STATEMENT:
Chris Wilder has returned to Bramall Lane.
He has signed a contract until the summer of 2027 to kick-off a third spell as Sheffield United manager. He will be in the technical area for Saturday’s EFL Championship fixture against Charlton Athletic at S2.
A message from the board of directors at Sheffield United: “Following a difficult start to the season, the board felt it necessary to make a change in order to stabilise performances and strengthen our push for promotion. While the adoption of a different style of play was pursued with ambition, results have clearly not met expectations.
“Chris Wilder returns with proven leadership and an unparalleled understanding of Sheffield United. We are confident he is the right person to restore momentum, unite the squad and supporters, and deliver the results necessary to achieve our objectives this season.
“We would like to thank Rubén Sellés for his hard work and professionalism during his time at the club. Responsibility for recent results lies with us as owners, and we remain fully committed to supporting the team and pursuing promotion.”
Wilder’s association with the Blades is one which goes back decades and he needs little introduction at Bramall Lane.
Wilder said in his press conference:” I’m back to help the club first and foremost really in the position that they’re in. I’m in a unique position as everybody knows, everybody’s possibly bored of hearing really, my journey and my affiliation and affection for this football club and obviously it’s not in a great position at the moment but that’s not a permanent position.
“So, you know, what we would do to change things around what you would bring to the table to help change around the fortunes of the club in the situation it is at the moment. frank and honest discussions.
“I was delighted to get that opportunity. I thought he speaks volumes about the owners. I know there’s been a lot of talk and the narrative would be about, you know, reconsidering me to come back to help the football club. But I think it just shows you what they’re about as human beings as well. Delighted to be back and working with, you know, which one of the things that it did excite me about, it was a talented group of players. There’s a reason why I was asked back.
“And there is a reason why the club is in this situation. I’ve got to say, which I had frank discussion with the group straight away, was they have to take responsibility for an ownership of the position that they’re in. They can’t just pile it on certain aspects of what’s happened before. And they recognise that. I mean, in unique situation quite easily I could have not taken up the opportunity.
“It’s amazing maybe how your stock goes up when you’re not even in work and you’re not even on the side of a pitch. But you know, there it is. To help the football club to restore a little bit of pride, restore some belief into the players and get us out of the position that we’re in. So small steps, the players have been outstanding over the last couple of days.
“I don’t think that’s a manager bounce. I think they genuinely are a talented group that want to do well, that’s been assembled. know, the owners have supported it over the last two or three weeks in terms of the acquisitions that they’ve made.
“And this is a strong group of players that I believe if led right and given the right processes, getting back to the culture of what has made us a decent side over a number of years, taking into account that we’ve had a couple of disappointments in there, but it’s been a decent period for the football club and I’m really looking forward to helping the club.
“We have the players to do everything here, to fight and to grind one out and to play decent football. We were in the middle of it, of course, and as I said, I understand and respect the decision made, but picking up from where we sort of left off in terms of our build and development, I’m really looking forward to.
Asked if it was any other football club, would you have said, you’ve made your bed, sleeping in, Wilder replied: “Possibly, yeah. This is a special club for me, so, and as you know, a unique club for me, so, yeah, I possibly would say yeah to that.”
🗣️ “(I want) to help the football club. To restore a bit of pride, restore some belief into the players and get us out of the position that we’re in.” #SUFC
Listen to the full interview with returning Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder here 👉 https://t.co/mzdDH4uQDb pic.twitter.com/SMnvRNL3F8
— Football Heaven (@footballheaven) September 16, 2025
This is how fans reacted as Chris Wilder speaks on making his return to Sheffield United for a third spell just three months on from the sacking…
@dcmcmlxxvi: Why sack him in the first place? Farcical decision, but hats off to the Board for seeing the error in their ways. Welcome back Tufty
@J_swfc1867: Bet he can’t wait for his next pay off 🤣 Could probably buy Sheffield Wednesday with the money he’s got
@_fadgie_: Gotta have respect for a board that realise they made a mistake & swiftly rectified it
@XiCurtisiX: If I was wilder I’d have told us to get fucked 😂 but welcome home 👌
@MikeConnelly9: WOW!! Genuinely, I didn’t see this day coming so quickly on June 18th when they appointed Selles… Credit to the owners for swallowing their pride & bringing him back … Common sense prevails 👏👏 The 2025/6 season has finally started ⚔️ #sufc
@bulmer1889: Breath of fresh air that just over an hr of open honest answers no waffle or adkins speak in sight #sufc #twitterblades
@mackem49000: Really glad your board eventually saw sense, he should never have been sacked in the first place.. still plenty of time to get things back on track.. good luck going forward this season Blades! 😉👍(Sunderland fan)
@georgewalker18: The biggest mug in football. Why would you continuously go back to a club that sacks you when they think they can do better than you? Very weak man
@ovie6577: Don’t know who is more shameless this club for constant hiring and firing of the same person or that same person for continuously accepting their proposals
@hazzyafc: Legit what’s the point in sacking him if your gonna run back to him at the first chance had the likes of Micheal Carrick out of work but wanted to go back to Chris Wilder dont get me wrong top gaffer but if you sack him you can’t go back to him lol #twitterblades
@JackToulson12: No doubt they’ll win every single game 1-0 now until the end of the season and get promoted
@cal_gregory: Right, never let him fucking Leave again please.
@_therrc: The board are incompetent. We should’ve never gotten rid of him in the first place. Getting 90 points on our budget last year with a points deduction was a miracle in itself.