Sheffield United is heading into next season with a reshuffled staff and a coach who may already have his potential successor in the building.
Phil Jones, the former Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers defender, is expected to join Chris Wilder’s coaching team at Bramall Lane, according to multiple reports. The move comes after Jones announced his departure from Blackburn, where he had been working as part of Michael O’Neill’s backroom staff since early 2026.
Why This Hire Carries Risk for Wilder
Jones, 34, retired from playing in 2023 and has been steadily building his coaching resume. He earned his UEFA Pro Licence, worked with Manchester United’s youth setup, and spent the first half of 2026 at Blackburn. Now he’s set for a senior-level role under Wilder — a situation that could create an awkward dynamic if the Blades stumble out of the gate.
Sheffield United finished 13th in the Championship last season, a steep drop from the playoff final appearance just one year prior. The club has already seen major changes behind the scenes, with veteran coach Alan Knill among those who left. Wilder remains in charge, but the front office is clearly signaling that last season’s results were unacceptable.
Jones represents fresh blood and new ideas — but also a natural fallback option if things go wrong. If Sheffield United makes a slow start to the campaign, the former center-back would be an obvious choice to take over on an interim basis. Wilder has been around long enough to recognize that dynamic. He knows how quickly a promising assistant can become a looming threat.
What Jones Brings to the Table
Jones isn’t just a name hire. He played under four different managers at Manchester United — Alex Ferguson, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho — and absorbed a wide range of tactical approaches. He also completed a director’s degree from the PFA Business School last year, rounding out his education beyond traditional coaching badges.
For Wilder, bringing in someone with that background could inject fresh training methods into a squad that underperformed badly in 2025-26. The Blades lost their first five games under previous coach Ruben Selles before Wilder took over, so he inherited a mess. But expectations reset this summer. Another slow start would leave Wilder with little margin for error.
Mikel Arteta’s path from Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City to Premier League winner at Arsenal is the template Jones is likely chasing. Sheffield United offers him a chance to learn from a veteran manager — and to position himself for a top job down the line.
Whether that opportunity comes on Wilder’s timeline — or sooner than expected — is the question hanging over this move.
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