Sheffield United hired Chris Wilder to replace Nigel Adkins after missing out on the League One play-off positions six years ago, but where are his first transfers as Blades boss now?
Wilder’s arrival at Bramall Lane ended the South Yorkshire natives’ day-long search for a new head coach. Sheffield United relieved Adkins of his duties on the day of hiring Wilder, having finished the 2015/16 third-tier campaign in their lowest league position since 1983.
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The Blades could only end the season in 11th-place under Adkins, eight points off the play-off spots. Yet Wilder would return the League One title in his maiden campaign, before he then led Sheffield United into the Premier League in just their second Championship term.
Sheffield United would enjoy two seasons in the top-flight before returning to the second-tier for the 2021/22 campaign. Wilder would also resign in March 2021, with owner Prince Abdullah telling Sky Sports: “He said that he felt the team needed a change, a new voice.”
Prince Abdullah and former Blades co-owner Kevin McCabe had regularly backed Wilder in the transfer windows during his tenure. Nine players joined Sheffield United in permanent deals during his first market at the helm, while also loaning in an additional trio of players.
Of Wilder’s first transfers with Sheffield United, John Fleck and Jack O’Connell are the only players still playing at Bramall Lane now. While former loanees Danny Lafferty is now with Derry, Ethan Ebanks-Landell plays for Shrewsbury and Harry Chapman is with Blackburn.
So, with seven players signed during Wilder’s first transfer window in charge no longer at Sheffield United now, where have their careers taken them since each left Bramall Lane?
Mark Duffy and Chris Hussey were Chris Wilder’s first Sheffield United transfers
Wilder made former Birmingham midfielder Mark Duffy and Bury full-back Chris Hussey his first transfers as Sheffield United boss in June 2016. The Blades struck agreements for the pair before the market officially opened as a show of their intent under his new leadership.
Duffy remained at Bramall Lane through to September 2020, when he joined Fleetwood in a free transfer. The 36-year-old had left the Blades earlier that summer after 121 games in all competitions, including 39 during their League One title win in the 2016/17 campaign.
But Duffy’s Fleetwood spell would be much more short-lived, as he left for Tranmere in the 2021 summer market. And he continued to bounce around the lower leagues with a move to Macclesfield in January and helped win the North West Counties Premier Division title.
Hussey, meanwhile, now plays for Port Vale following a spell at Cheltenham from 2018 to 2022. He left Sheffield United after two seasons and a loan move to Swindon, having only featured 11 times. Never has the 33-year-old played fewer games while with a single club.
Despite only joining Port Vale in January 2022, the left-back has already enjoyed 19 games with the club. Hussey also helped manager Darrell Clarke lead the Valiants to promotion to League One in the play-offs, beating Mansfield in the final. But he missed each play-off tie.
Chris Wilder launched Oldham raid for James Wilson – now at Plymouth
Wilder continued Sheffield United’s spending in his first transfer window by raiding League One rivals Oldham to sign James Wilson. The centre-half had spent the previous two years with the Latics, and would enjoy two with the Blades up to his departure in January 2018.
Wilson failed to settle at Bramall Lane with just 10 appearances plus a loan spell to Walsall. The 33-year-old left Sheffield United for Lincoln City until August 2019 and joining Ipswich, where he stayed until 2021 and switching to Plymouth – where the defender remains now.
Jake Wright among Chris Wilder’s first Blades transfers now set for non-league axe
Jake Wright was among Wilder’s first transfers as Sheffield United manager, but is now set for the axe in non-league. The 36-year-old will leave sixth-tier side Boston United when his contract expires this summer, after only joining on a one-year deal from Mansfield in 2021.
Wilder had signed Wright from Oxford and called on his services until 2019 and loaning the defender to Bolton. He has since bounced around upon leaving the Blades permanently in 2020, with brief spells with Hereford and Mansfield before National League North Boston.
Leon Clarke among Chris Wilder’s first Blades transfers now set to leave Bristol Rovers
Bristol Rovers are heading to League One next season, but Leon Clarke is heading for the Memorial Stadium exit doors. The 37-year-old helped the Pirates secure an automatic spot this term, after joining Joey Barton’s side from Shrewsbury as a last-gasp August transfer.
Shrewsbury had signed Clarke from Sheffield United a year prior to bring the curtain down on his Bramall Lane career. Wilder raided Bury for the striker in 2016, and would field him in 96 games in all competitions around a half-season loan move to Wigan in January 2019.
Wilder signed now Coventry star Simon Moore among first Sheffield United deals
August 2016 saw Wilder add the finishing touches to his first Sheffield United squad with a late transfer for now Coventry star Simon Moore. The goalkeeper left Cardiff to join Wilder at Bramall Lane, where he would remain until July 2021 and then moving to the Sky Blues.
Moore was never much more than a backup for the Blades past his debut season in South Yorkshire. He made 70 appearances in all competitions before leaving, but 45 of his games came in 2016/17 – including 43 in League One for 17 clean sheets on route to the title.
Caolan Lavery last of Chris Wilder’s transfers in first Sheffield United window
Caolan Lavery was the last of Wilder’s transfers during his first window at Sheffield United in August 2016. The striker left Sheffield Wednesday for the Blades after he rejected a new contract, and would remain at Bramall Lane through to August 2019 after just 36 outings.
The Northern Ireland forward struggled to establish himself at Sheffield United between loan spells to Rotherham and Bury. He eventually left the Blades for Walsall, but left after two seasons to join Bradford – who have now released Lavery at the end of his contract.
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