The former Sheffield United captain fears for Wilder’s future as relegation nears for Southampton and West Bromwich Albion.
Former Sheffield United captain David Holdsworth would not be surprised if Chris Wilder is on the managerial shortlists of Southampton and West Bromwich Albion this summer.
Wilder has led the Blades to the League One title and the brink of a Championship play-off place in his two seasons as Bramall Lane boss.
But the 50-year-old has cut a frustrated figure in recent months, amid disharmony in the Sheffield United boardroom.
And Holdsworth fears his former teammate’s affection for the Blades may not be enough to keep him around – especially if a club of Southampton or West Brom’s stature come calling.
“There’s always a danger of Chris being poached, because he’s had a good season. If there’s a club that see they need a manager that’s proactive and certainly could structure a football club, then you wouldn’t look further than Chris Wilder, without a doubt,” the Londoner told Sheffield Live TV on Thursday.
“Would Sheffield United suffer from that? Yes, of course they would because they’d end up having to go back to page one and, having learned from mistakes, they brought in a guy that can actually build the club for them, which he’s done. So let him build, give him the opportunity.
“So if that was a hindrance to him and he got an opportunity to go somewhere else then that’s a big question that Chris is going to have to answer. We know he’s a Blade through and through, there’s no danger about that whatsoever, and it would be very, very tough thing for him to do, to walk away. But if he feels that he can manage in the Premier League, which I’m sure he does feel that, and quite rightly so, then what he doesn’t need is a year of disassociation with a board room that’s fragmented and that would only hurt him.
“It would be a tough decision for Chris, but he’s got a family and he needs to look after his career and if he believes he wants to go the top then he has to make them tough decisions.”
He added: “You wouldn’t be surprised (if Southampton or West Brom were interested), would you?
“If you’re a Southampton or a West Brom and there’s a £2 million, £3 million clause in Chris’s contract, you pay it if you want him.”
However, Holdsworth does not believe that Wilder would walk away from Sheffield United, without having another club lined up.
“If he felt he couldn’t go forward and take the club forward, and this group of players, then he might have to question himself, saying: hang on, am I being too loyal here? Because you can be too loyal,” he said. “The fans love him to bits and if all of a sudden that turned sour that wouldn’t be fair on Chris, would it?”
Southampton, like West Brom – who are being led by Darren Moore on a caretaker basis – could be looking for a new manager this summer, with relegation looking increasingly likely and Mark Hughes’ contract up at the end of the campaign.
Would the Sheffield United boss be a good appointment for Southampton / West Bromwich Albion?
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