Chris Wilder has been confirmed as Sheffield United’s new manager on a contract to 2027 after Rubén Sellés was sacked on Sunday. It is the 57-year-old’s third spell in charge of his boyhood club – and comes just three months after he was sacked by the club. He takes over a team bottom of the Championship after defeats in all five of their league matches.

United said in a statement that promotion remained the ambition for the season. The club are nine points off the playoffs and 13 behind the leaders, Middlesbrough, after the 5-0 loss at Ipswich on Friday that triggered Sellés’s dismissal.

It is thought Wilder has returned empowered after previously clashing with the US ownership, the COH sports group consortium, around its shift in transfer strategy. The club’s attempts to implement artificial intelligence-led recruitment have so far backfired.

Wilder, who had two stints as a United player, was the manager from 2016-21 and from 2023-25. He led the club into the Premier League in 2019, finishing ninth in 2019-20, their first season back in the top flight. They struggled in 2020-21, however, with Wilder dismissed in March 2021 with the side on their way back down to the Championship. He returned as manager in December 2023, and last season his side accumulated 90 points in the regular league season. But he was sacked once again after defeat by Sunderland in the playoff final, losing 2-1 to a stoppage-time winner.

“Following a difficult start to the season, the board felt it necessary to make a change in order to stabilise performances and strengthen our push for promotion,” a board statement said. “While the adoption of a different style of play was pursued with ambition, results have clearly not met expectations.

“Chris Wilder returns with proven leadership and an unparalleled understanding of Sheffield United. We are confident he is the right person to restore momentum, unite the squad and supporters, and deliver the results necessary to achieve our objectives this season.

“We would like to thank Rubén Sellés for his hard work and professionalism during his time at the club. Responsibility for recent results lies with us as owners, and we remain fully committed to supporting the team and pursuing promotion.”

Wilder’s first game back in the dugout will be when Sheffield United host Charlton at Bramall Lane on Saturday.