Opinion – Sheffield Utd have struck gold by tying down this key English figure to fresh terms

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Chinmay Athreya

Why Sheffield United have struck gold with a new contract for Chris Wilder

Chris Wilder has signed a new contract with Sheffield United that will keep him at Bramall Lane until 2024, with an option for an additional season, according to the Dailymail.

The Blades have been this season’s surprise package and are currently eighth in the Premier League in what is their first season back in the top flight. It’s something that has been a long time coming in a lot of Blades fans’ eyes. Wilder has led the club from the Wilderness in League One to now fifth in the Premier League.

Their win over West Ham last, aided by VAR, was the icing on the cake to an excellent day for the club in general. Wilder ended Sheffield United’s 12-year exile from the Premier League when they sealed automatic promotion back to the top-flight last season. And his side has seamlessly coped with the step-up by beating Arsenal while earning credible draws with Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham.

Wilder took over the club he supported as a boy in May 2016, when the Blades were languishing in the League One and led them to two promotions. Wilder, who started his career with the Blades and had two spells there as a player, took over as manager of the club in 2016, guiding them to the League One title and promotion to the Championship the following season. He was rewarded for helping United reach the Premier League with a three-year deal in July last year, since when the 52-year-old’s stock has continued to rise.

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Chris Wilder (Image credit: Getty)

Wilder’s four-and-a-half-year deal is a richly-merited reward for the remarkable progress of two promotions in three seasons, followed by the swaggering style in which his team have taken to the top flight. He has delivered tactically innovative football on a modest budget, elevated individuals within the tightest of units.

Wilder has been nothing short of superb since arriving at Bramall Lane. The job, the style of play, and the way he’s transformed the whole club has been tremendous. As long as Wilder is in charge of the club, the Blades could continue on their upward curve. A new contract for Chris Wilder is the least the club could have done.