Sheffield United: Chris Wilder and Alan Knill discuss football, philosophy and the lure of Bramall Lane

The former Halifax, Oxford and Northampton Town chief, who won promotion from League Two at Sixfields last term, is a lifelong United supporter and enjoyed two spells at Bramall Lane as a player. Speaking ahead of the visit to Bolton Wanderers, Wilder discusses his new assignment with The Star’s James Shield and assistant manager Alan Knill.

James Shield: What was your first thought when you heard Sheffield United wanted you?

Chris Wilder: You hear a lot of players and a lot of managers talking about ‘no-brainers’ but it was the ultimate no-brainer for me. I’d been linked with the job a few times but, when it really did look as if it might happen, I dropped everything else. It was a mad season, with the stuff that happened at Northampton, and then the interest at the end of it. The timing was right and the fit too. Being in the job for eight to 10 weeks, I think even more so that it’s right for both myself and the club.

JS: You turned down other clubs before coming here though, didn’t you?

CW: There was interest from elsewhere. I think the time was right to go on, with all respect, to a bigger club. Football and management is all about timing. Some things you miss. On other occasions, everything comes together at the right time. It was always in my head what I might say about coming here if I was asked. But it was never an obsession. If you ask the people close to me, they’ll say I’ve always been more of a mind whereby, if I try to be the best I can, then there’s a chance it might happen at some point.

Alan Knill: Sheffield United, as a club, is just something else. Just look at the number of fans, around 4,000, that will be at Bolton. That’s just ridiculous. But I mean that in a good way.