Chris Wilder became manager of his boyhood club Sheffield United for a second time in December 2023, following the departure of Paul Heckingbottom.

Born in Sheffield, Wilder was a ball boy at Bramall Lane, and his first appearances in the Football League came with the Blades after he joined them in 1986.

He played for 10 other clubs during a 15-year career as a right-back, while also having a second spell with United.

When injury ended Wilder’s full-time playing career, he joined ninth-tier side Alfreton Town at the start of the 2001/02 season.

After just two months he was appointed player-manager and, although he was only in charge for 27 weeks, he won four trophies, including the league title.

Wilder took charge of Halifax Town in July 2002 and led them to the Conference playoff final in 2005/06, which his side lost. He stayed until the club was wound up due to debts in the summer of 2008.

He had a brief spell as the assistant manager at Bury in League Two before returning to the Conference to take charge of Oxford United in December 2008.

He achieved promotion through the playoffs in his second season there, and then secured three successive top-half finishes.

Wilder switched to another League Two club, Northampton Town, in January 2014, swapping a sixth-placed team for a side lying bottom of the table.

His decision was justified, though, as he led The Cobblers to a 12th-place finish and then won the title the following season with 99 points.

Five days after the end of that campaign, on 12 May 2016, Wilder was appointed manager of Sheffield United, then in League One.

He won his second successive league title in his first season with the Blades, this time racking up 100 points.

And, after a 10th-place finish in the Championship, he achieved yet another promotion in 2018/19 as runners-up Sheffield United returned to the Premier League after a 12-year absence.

His success was recognised by his being named the League Managers Association’s manager of the year, beating the likes of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp to the award.

He was also shortlisted for the 2019/20 Barclays Manager of the Season after guiding the Blades to a ninth-placed finish on their first season back in the Premier League.

The second season did not go as smoothly and Wilder left the club by mutual consent on 13 March 2021, with the Blades bottom of the 2020/21 table.

He went on to have spells with Middlesbrough and Watford before his return to Bramall Lane with Sheff Utd bottom of the table, having conceded the most goals and scored the fewest.

Sheff Utd's relegation from the Premier League was confirmed in April when they lost 5-1 to Newcastle United, ending the campaign 20th.