TALK MORE: Coventry City confirm Sheffield United favourite in new-look coaching structure as starlets prepare for Wrexham run-out

Sheffield United starlets prepare for EFL Cup chance v Wrexham as Blades confirm new-look coaching structure

Sheffield United have confirmed former Coventry City and Birmingham City manager Gary McSheffrey as their new U21 coach as part of a restructure prompted by Keith Andrews’ departure earlier this summer. The ex-Republic of Ireland international joined Brentford as a set-piece coach, leaving a vacancy amongst Chris Wilder’s staff.

Former U21 boss Micky Collins, the former Huddersfield Town, Scunthorpe and Oxford United man who had a short-lived spell as Bradford City manager in 2018, has been promoted to first-team coach after joining in with the senior squad during pre-season, with former Doncaster Rovers manager McSheffrey stepping up to replace him with the U21s. Former Bradford City and Notts County man Jim O’Brien has also been announced as United’s new U18s coach after the departure of Matt Thorpe.

First-team boss Wilder is a big fan of the work done in the academy, now headed up by Derek Geary after fellow ex-Blade Jack Lester was previously promoted to a first-team role, with a number of starlets – including Sydie Peck, Louie Marsh and Femi Seriki – set to get a chance in tomorrow night’s EFL Cup tie at home to Wrexham. “Fabulous,” was Wilder’s verdict on McSheffrey’s appointment.

“There’s some great work going on there and that has to continue. The attitude of the academy is in sync with the first team, which makes it so much easier when they’re coming up. They have to run and work hard and win tackles and have that aggressive attitude but they have to play as well and you’ve seen that in Femi and Blaster and Andre Brooks. Sydie coming onto the pitch as well. For four players on the pitch in a Championship game [on Friday at Preston] is something we should be really proud of.“I’m delighted in terms of the work in the academy. I thought it was the best part of the club last season, next to the supporters. If they’re good enough, they’ll get the opportunity and it’s over to them. They have to be good enough and if they are then it opens it up. We like working with young players, we’ve promoted Micky into the first team group so he has a big overview on those qualities that those players have and I will take credit for it.

“We shook it up in 2016, from top to bottom. And it’s been on an upward trajectory through Jack and Del and the coaches in there great work. That must continue and I’m sure it will. The ultimate aim is to get the training ground, to let us go to category one and protect us a bit more. But you can see the good work we’ve done and we’re doing what an academy should do, making pro footballers for the first team and to create assets and have careers.

“Because physically I’m not sure we can go again with the same team as on Friday, ahead of a big game for us on Saturday [against QPR at Bramall Lane]. This [Wrexham] is a big game, I don’t want to change the mentality of the club of wanting to win every game and we will do. But you can expect a lot of young players to be involved, and I’m looking forward to seeing how they g

o.”