Chris Wilder & Sheffield United ‘thankful’ for what Mick McCarthy did at Ipswich Town | OneFootball

Chris Wilder has opened up on how Sheffield United were able to sign David McGoldrick in 2018

Chris Wilder will be planning for the summer transfer window at Sheffield United after the team were effectively eliminated from play-off contention.

The Blades have not won in any of their last four games, leaving them 13 points adrift of the top six with only seven games to go.

The Yorkshire outfit lost in the play-off final last year, but will not be able to go one step further this season after a poor run of form in recent weeks.

Last summer saw Sheffield United make a number of errors under new owners COH Sports, including replacing Wilder with Ruben Selles, and the 58-year-old’s return in September wasn’t enough to turn things around after a poor start to the campaign.

The club could end up targeting free agents in a bid to find an edge in the market, as this has been an area where they have excelled in the past.

The likes of John Fleck, Mark Duffy and David McGoldrick have all made a big impact after signing as free agents, making it an important part of the Blades’ past transfer strategy.

Chris Wilder thanks Mick McCarthy for David McGoldrick tip

Wilder has thanked former Ipswich Town boss Mick McCarthy for tipping Sheffield United off to McGoldrick following his exit from Portman Road, which opened the door for him to join Sheffield United in 2018 on an initial trial basis.

He praised the impact the forward had, highlighting in particular the level he reached during the club’s ninth place finish in the Premier League in 2020, claiming he’s one of the best players he ever coached.

"I've said to Pat (Bamford) and Danny (Ings), Didzy came to the club off the back of a 'trial' – it was never a trial, it was a confirmation because we know how talented he was," said Wilder, via The Yorkshire Post.

"He came because he was doing a lot of travelling at Ipswich and thankfully Mick McCarthy pushed him our way.

"He's one of the best I've ever coached and managed on every front.

"When he went to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, [Chris Basham] was 'Cruyffing' Harry Kane in his own box and Didzy's nutmegging people on the halfway line.

"It brings a real fabulous feel to what he produced at that time.

"He came in, scored against Inter Milan in a pre-season debut (in 2018) and he was off and running."

Wilder also praised McGoldrick for being so good to work with off the pitch as well, suggesting that it’s a smart move by Barnsley manager Conor Hourihane to have him working younger players in a coaching capacity.

"On the pitch he was outstanding, off the pitch he was brilliant to work with and at the time I didn't see that [coaching] side to him but he was a really intelligent footballer," he added.

"The biggest thing I would say is he was hugely respected by coaches and players.

"I'm not surprised Conor has involved him with the younger players because he'll have the respect of Conor and the coaching staff and most importantly of the players because of his personality."

McGoldrick made the move to Oakwell last summer as a free agent and he has scored 14 times for Barnsley this season, with the Tykes sitting 13th in the League One table.

Meanwhile, Sheffield United are 17th in the Championship, 11 points clear of the relegation zone and 13 behind sixth-place Southampton.

The Blades have just seven games remaining before this disappointing campaign comes to a conclusion.

Next up for Wilder’s side is a home clash against 14th place Swansea City on 3 April in a 3pm kick-off.

A signing like David McGoldrick would be great for Sheffield United now

McGoldrick scored 15 times in his first season with Sheffield United, playing a key role in the club gaining automatic promotion back to the Premier League for the first time since 2007.

The former Ireland international maintained his importance to the side as they took the step-up to the top flight, making 63 appearances across their two seasons before suffering relegation, adding another 10 goals.

Someone of that calibre joining the club as a free agent this year would be more than welcome, and would be just what the team needs to bridge the gap to the play-off places.

A signing of that quality doesn’t come around too often, so it’s no surprise that Wilder is more than happy to thank McCarthy publicly for his role in bringing McGoldrick to Bramall Lane.