Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder makes admission ahead of first return to Middlesbrough FC plus update on Gustavo Hamer

Wilder paid the price for a slow start to the 2022-23 season at Boro and was sacked in October 2023 after taking the Teessiders to the brink of the Championship play-offs in the previous campaign when they also had a memorable cup run. He was replaced by current head coach Michael Carrick.

Wilder said: "They are a good team, well coached by Michael (Carrick). It was an excellent choice by Steve Gibson.

"Personally, I enjoyed my time up there. Personally, I don’t think it will be defined by ten games I had at Middlesbrough.

"Some of my best moments in football occurred at this football club - a couple of FA Cup nights, beating Man United away and Tottenham at home and having a decent run from where we were, taking it to the last game of the season. It’s a good football club with good supporters and talented footballers.

"I was disappointed personally, I didn't make a success of it, but understand the reasons that the chairman and owner made at the time."

Wilder must make do without midfielder Vini Souza, who serves a one-match ban following his fifth booking of the season at Leeds United on Friday night.

Gus Hamer, who came off in the second half at Elland Road with a tight calf, is fine, Wilder revealed.

On Souza, Wilder commented: "It is how it is going to be. We are competitive, we want to make tackles. Midfield players need to make tackles. I think a couple of his bookings have been pretty harsh, but that’s the way the game is going.

"Midfield players have to win races, headers, tackles and duels. Our duels and our stats for the Leeds game were up there. Vini has been pretty fortunate and I thought it was a really soft booking against Leeds.

"Unfortunately, he misses and it opens it up for somebody else. We lost (Oli) Arblaster recently and Sydie Peck came in. Shacks (Jamie Shackleton) can come in and play in the middle of the park as well.

"We have to get on with it. It’s how we deal with suspensions and defeats."

And on Hamer, he added: "He had a tight calf. Yet again, we are talking about how we go about this week because (it’s) Friday/Wednesday/Saturday and a quick turnaround as well.

"We will pick a team, whatever formation it is, to hopefully get a result at a team I expect to be in and around the top all season.”