Sheffield United have confirmed the appointment of Ruben Selles less than an hour after the club announced Chris Wilder would be leaving Bramall Lane by “mutual consent”.
The former Hull City boss has signed a three-year deal and further coaching appointments to join Selles’ backroom staff will be announced in due course.
Wilder left his role by mutual consent following a review of last season, when the team missed out on promotion to the Premier League in the Championship play-off final to Sunderland.
Selles, who was sacked by the Tigers despite keeping them in the Championship, had previously been the manager of Reading and was interim boss at Southampton.
The Spanish coach also beat Wilder’s Blades 3-0 at Bramall Lane with Hull back in January.
A statement from the club claimed they acted “swiftly” to appoint their next boss, after holding talks with the Portuguese earlier in the week.
Speaking in the statement, Selles said: “When we first heard about the possibility of coming here, it was a no-brainer for us to join a club with this kind of history and with a mission to move forward and try to be even more competitive.
“This is a very powerful and ambitious project. It was very important at the start of the conversations that everyone is on the same page.”
The Blades won 90 points last season – a total which would have equalled their club record but for a two-point deduction imposed by the EFL – and that tally would have been enough to go up automatically in eight of the last 10 seasons.
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Highlights of the Championship play-off final between Sheffield United and Sunderland
After four successive defeats in the run-in, United were 15 minutes from victory at Wembley before two late goals saw Sunderland promoted instead.
Despite that near miss, the US-based consortium COH Sports, led by Steven Rosen and Helmy Eltoukhy, have decided they want to bring in a new head coach.
Gary O’Neil was under consideration for the role, but the Blades bosses have decided they want to go in a different direction. They completed a takeover last December, when Wilder was already in charge of the team.
Sheffield United said Wilder’s achievements at the club would “never be forgotten” and that he and his coaches Alan Knill and Matt Prestridge depart “with the best wishes and gratitude of everyone”.
Wilder: I love this club and city
In an emotional statement after his departure was announced, Wilder said: “It is with great regret that my time at Sheffield United has come to an end.
“I’d like to thank Stephen Bettis and Prince Abdullah for bringing me back to the club and giving me the opportunity to rebuild the team and take this great club forward.
“I’d also like to thank all the staff at the club, everyone behind the scenes that you don’t often see, and, of course, the players who put in a monumental effort last season, it has been a pleasure working with you, your desire and commitment was unquestionable and I have no doubt you will have great success in the future.
“To the fans, I’m obviously disappointed to be leaving, particularly because we were so close to getting back to the Premier League. I’m a Sheffielder through and through, I love this club and this city and that feeling will never change.
“I depart with some cherished memories and feel proud to be talked about in the same manner that special Sheffield United managers are remembered – leading this team over 300 times will remain an incredible part of my life. This is a heartfelt thank you for all your support.
“Lastly, I’d like to wish Steven Rosen, Helmy Eltouky and the board all the very best moving forward. Up The Blades.”
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Chris Wilder was aggrieved after Sheffield United’s late play-off final defeat to Sunderland and questioned the use of VAR in the final after the full league season in the Championship without it
Sky Sports News reported on Tuesday that there has been no rift with the board, and in fact Wilder has an excellent relationship with Rosen. The change in manager is motivated by the new regime wanting to bring in their own person to lead the football operation.
COH are determined to utilise a data-led approach to recruitment and play, which is something Wilder was open to following the takeover.
At the start of last season, Wilder was in charge during a huge rebuild, with 22 players leaving Bramall Lane and the average age of the squad coming down to 24. While it is thought the owners do recognise and appreciate how Wilder has added value to the squad, that has not been enough for him to keep his job.
Last week, United signed the Nigerian winger Ehije Ukaki from the Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv based on his impressive statistics in the First Pro League.