Stoke City v Sheffield United - Blades will be Premier League ready – Chris Wilder

The Blades head to Stoke City tomorrow knowing victory, together with Norwich City losing at Aston Villa, will be enough to seal top spot.

Even if the Canaries prevail, however, there can be little doubt this has been a season to savour in the red and white half of the Steel City.

Wilder and his players celebrated hard in the wake of automatic promotion being clinched before returning to training on Tuesday but the off-field focus is already on the 2019-20 campaign.

Talks have taken place with Manchester United over Dean Henderson returning on loan for the club’s first season in the top flight since 2007, while Wilder travelled to London on Wednesday for an informal chat with Premier League officials.

“Work is under way in terms of players (to sign), what we require doing up here at the training ground and improvements needed at Bramall Lane,” said the 51-year-old to The Yorkshire Post.

“We are cracking on with stuff already. Even though the play-offs would have been a great achievement, we are so delighted to have done it through automatic. For a lot of reasons and one of those is the three-and-a-half weeks we would have been behind (in terms of putting plans into action).

“We have a strategy. We do not want to change our philosophy or identity. We have to tweak, we have to be smart and we have to improve.

“Big decisions have already been made, in terms of who takes us forward. And who will not be part of the journey.

“That is part and parcel of what happens at every football club at this stage of a season.”

Norwich, three points ahead of United but with a worse goal difference, admitted this week that their budget is likely to be among the lowest in the top flight next term.

A transfer fund of £20m has been suggested by sources at Carrow Road and the Blades are expected to adopt a similarly sensible approach ahead of their return to the elite.

It is 12 years since the club last competed at the top level, Neil Warnock’s side lasting just a season before being relegated.

Wilder, a lifelong fan, is adamant there has to be more of a positive legacy this time around regardless of what happens on the pitch.

“We have to make a legacy,” he added. “I don’t think there was one the last time we were in the Premier League.

“I do not really want to go into that. The past is the past. It is about the future and what we do going forward.

“The ground will be improved. I have talked to the owners about the improvements needed in the training ground. We are going to be attracting better players now so recovery will be key.

“We cannot be behind anyone. I am not saying that, suddenly, there will be a £20m training ground being built. But we have to give the players the best opportunity to get results because points in the Premier League will be as precious as they have ever been.”

United head to the Potteries for tomorrow’s encounter looking to round off a quite remarkable few years with a 27th victory of the season.

“We are in the fight for the title,” added Wilder. “Everyone deserved the chance to celebrate. These are honest, boys next door, and no-one can deny them.

“But the week has been quite normal from Tuesday onwards. We had a recruitment meeting that day. I went down to London on Wednesday for the Premier League meeting and then we have all been working as normal for the last two days.

“As soon as we were back in, things settled down straight away. The players quickly got back on the bike this week because they know we have an opportunity.

“We do not want to be sitting in the changing room at Stoke on Sunday afternoon and Norwich have lost, knowing that we have missed out.

“If we have given our all and done it the right way, we take it on the chin. But let’s prepare and give it one last push.

“Let’s turn a fantastic season into an incredible and memorable one.”

Duffy’s journey: Page 3