Chris Wilder is often dubbed “The Old School Boss” for his classic, no-nonsense style of football management. Known for a style some call “the dinosaur approach” in the age of modern tactics, he has proven that sometimes the old ways still work wonders. Like Graham Potter at Brighton, he achieved remarkable things with a modest budget, famously guiding his Sheffield United team (built for under £1 million) to an impressive start in the 2019/2020 Premier League season. But there’s much more to his story than tactics and budget management.
Heart of Steel: Uncovering Chris Wilder’s Personal Life and Career Journey
This biography dives into the heart of Chris Wilder’s journey, uncovering details beyond the pitch: from his early years and family background to his life with his first wife, Rachel, his current marriage to Francesca, and his relationship with his children, Martha and Evie. You’ll also get a glimpse of his lifestyle, net worth, and the person behind the manager. Here’s a look at some of the moments that have shaped Chris Wilder’s life and career.
Football’s Underdog Story: The Chris Wilder Biography.
Chris Wilder Childhood Story – Family Background and Early Life:
For Biography starters, Christopher John Wilder was born on the 23rd day of September 1967 in Stocksbridge, a small town and civil parish located in the City of Sheffield, England.
Although born in Sheffield, the football manager of White British ethnicity has his family origin from the Steel city of Liverpool, meaning he is a ‘Scouser‘.
Wilder grew up alongside his parents, siblings, and, most importantly, his uncles, who had a great influence on his upbringing.
He comes from a middle-class family household operated by his dad, who earned a living in the working-class area of Liverpool.
As a little boy, Wilder’s uncles had a great influence on him liking the game. His set of uncles didn’t only teach him how to play football but also took him to Anfield to watch Liverpool games. In his words;
“We used to visit during Christmas and on the occasional school break,” Wilder recalled. “That’s when I’d go to Anfield with my uncles, who lived in a nice area east of Liverpool. Sometimes, I’d even get to watch them, along with my dad, play football.”
Chris Wilder Education and Career Buildup:
In order to pursue his dreams, Chris Wilder left Liverpool for Sheffield, his birthplace, in search of footballing opportunities.
He got employed as a ball boy for Stocksbridge Park Steels F.C., located in the Stocksbridge district of Sheffield.
Later on, Wilder got a successful trial with Southampton as a football apprentice and academy player.
As a humble apprentice, he took the role of cleaning the football boots of Southampton legend- David Armstrong.
Despite giving his best, poor Wilder couldn’t progress through the club’s youth rank to senior football. Sadly, he was released due to poor performance and not making it into Southampton’s first team.
Chris Wilder Biography – Football Story:
Any youth player who has lived through academy rejection will know only too well the deep emotional pain and damaging psychological consequences it can have.
After failing to make the grade as a Southampton academy player, poor Wilder returned to Sheffield, his city of birth. Thankfully, Sheffield United accepted him as a defender.
Despite being an average player, Sheffield helped Wilder to forge his senior career. The former ball boy projected himself in the club’s first team in August 1986 in no time.
During his career with Sheffield, Wilder humbled himself by going on loan with a total of 11 clubs before joining Halifax Town in 1999, the club where he finally hung up his boots. Wilder (pictured below) retired from football at the age of 34.
Road to Fame Story:
Wilder, upon retirement, began venturing into football management with the belief that he would do better despite being an average football player. Thomas Tuchel and Jose Mourinho, who were average players in their playing careers, also shared a similar vision.
He started his coaching career with Alfreton Town in the year 2001. Football management, as he anticipated, began on a positive note.
Did you know?… In just 27 weeks after being in charge of Alfreton, the English man won four trophies.
In the next phase of his managerial journey, Chris Wilder took charge of Halifax Town, where he managed over 300 games and gave his all to the club. His tenure, however, ended on a somber note when the club faced liquidation on June 30, 2008.
The liquidation led to his move to Oxford and, later on, League Two rivals Northampton, where he led them to a League Two title with 99 points.
Did you know?… Chris Wilder, while at Northampton, was unpaid for three months, a development that led to the very sad experience of having his card declined several times at supermarket checkouts. Poor Him!!!
Chris Wilder had his card payment declined when he was owed three months’ salary.
Chris Wilder Bio – Rise to Fame Story:
Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, the owner of Sheffield United, stepped in to offer Chris Wilder the chance to manage his beloved boyhood club during a time of financial uncertainty. Thanks to this opportunity, on May 12, 2016, Wilder joined Sheffield United and began a new chapter with the team he’d always held close to his heart.
With little financial backing, Wilder made a lot of his acquisitions via free transfers. He made his first mission be; “Making the players feel at home”.
In a bid to achieve this, the no-nonsense manager ripped down the harsh writings of “Welcome to Work” on the club’s training ground.
To him, there were better motivational slogans and players were meant to feel at home.
Upon joining Sheffield, Chris Wilder ripped down motivational slogans festooning the training ground.
Despite a poor first-season start, Wilder guided the club into becoming League One Champions, securing 100 points in the process (a club record). His success continued after gaining entry into the Championship.
The Achievement:
At the Championship, Wilder led his Sheffield United side to the top, winning his second promotion in just three years at the club.
In recognition of his achievements, he was awarded the LMA manager of the 2018/2019 season. Wilder defeated Pep Guardiola for the award even while the Manchester City manager completed a domestic treble.
Chris Wilder was holding on to his LMA Manager of the Year- 2018–19 award.
After bringing his hometown club to the premier league, Wilder began to build his team around John Lundstram, the one-time Everton reject and a football genius from his city, Liverpool.
Giving the rest of his players the freedom to operate saw everyone fitting perfectly into the Blades’ jigsaw.
Wilder’s Sheffield United, at the time of writing (December 2019), has proven the football community wrong after being patronized by some fans as too basic for the Premier League.
As at the time of writing, the English manager from Liverpool is being lauded as one of the Premier League’s most original tactical innovators after Pep Guardiola- all thanks to Blades’ stunning start to the 2019/2020 season. The rest, as they say, is now history.
Chris Wilder’s Wife and Children:
To begin with, Chris Wilder is a married man. He was initially married to his ex-wife, Rachel Wilder, who had two beautiful daughters, Martha Wilder and Evie Wilder.
Bringing up the kids while her husband went on with his coaching business, Rachel Wilder managed a Gap clothing store in Manchester and Sheffield.
According to reports, it was revealed that Chris Wilder’s former wife (Rachel) does not like football, and sometimes gets fed up with it, which is watched for several hours in the family home. Notwithstanding, she only watches when her husband’s team is winning.
Among Chris Wilder’s daughters, only Martha is into sports. Evie Wilder is into fashion.
After many years of their parent’s marriage, both Martha and Evie began to witness a dwindling relationship between their mum and dad.
Things began to fall apart, and it got so sour that a ‘divorce’ was seen as the best option for the old couple.
Chris Wilder moved on after the divorce. After some time, he met a lady called Francesca, whom he described their meeting as ‘love’ at first sight.
The marriage between Chris and Francesca was on the transfer deadline day of 2017 (31st of January 2017). What a day for a football manager to get married!!
Personal Life:
Getting to know him Outside Football would help you get a complete picture of his personality away from his activities on the football pitch.
Starting off, Wilder is an honest man who deploys a professional and happy-ending way to keep people under his care grounded. He believes so much in freedom and would not take it likely if his simplicity is taken for granted.
For instance, if you did something that makes him happy, he’d be happy to tell you he is happy. If you do something that doesn’t make him happy, he’ll immediately let you know, sometimes coming down on you like a ton of bricks.
Speaking about his personality as regards not tolerating laziness, he once said that ‘Waiters are only for restaurants and not for players who fail to realize their talents’.
His Love for Beer & Wine: Discussing his personal life from a social standpoint, Chris Wilder is described by many as someone who regularly socializes (especially) with old friends from the pub where he is most times spotted seeping his favourite beer.
Getting to know Chris Wilder’s Personal Life away from Football.
Did you know?… A couple of beers and wine with his coaching staff and old players always goes down well after most big wins.
Chris Wilder Family Life:
Starting off, Chris Wilder’s family, at the time of writing, lives at Ecclesall Road. This is a road in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. At the time of writing, he ensured that all family members made conscious efforts not to seek public recognition.
Owing to family ties, his entire extended family enjoys when football takes him to Merseyside to play against Liverpool or Everton. This is because the Sheffield United boss used those moments to reconnect with his family in Liverpool.
Even while his team plays either Everton or Liverpool, Wilder finds himself buying match tickets for some of his opponents, whom he describes as Family.
Hence, playing against his family side is deeply personal because his dad is from Liverpool, and most of his family members are either Liverpool or Everton fans.
On the other side, Sheffield fans still claim Wilder to be their own just because he grew up in their city.
Did you know? Sheffield fans often sing “He’s one of our own” for Chris Wilder at Bramall Lane. To them, Wilder isn’t just a manager; he’s part of the Sheffield family, embraced as one of their own.
Lifestyle:
Wilder lives a humble lifestyle despite receiving a decent salary as a manager. Rather than using flashy cars, which his wages could purchase, he would rather travel around Sheffield by public transport, preferably busses.
According to reports, Wilder still sometimes uses the Ecclesall Road bus stop near his home, a sign that shows his down-to-earth nature. He is, without a doubt, an antidote to expensive living.
Untold Facts:
As we wrap up Chris Wilder’s Bio, we’ll use this section to unveil more truths about him. Without further ado, let’s begin.
He was once a Pupil of Sir Alex Ferguson:
Did you know?… Chris Wilder, during his early management days, was a pupil of legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson.
Chris Wilder and Alex Ferguson- His teacher.
During his time at Alfreton Town and Oxford, Wilder would most often journey to Manchester to see the legendary manager for mentoring lessons. Speaking about the experience, he once said in his words,
“He took out time to help me along the way. He used to do it to quite a few young British managers, not just me. Stuff like that gave me a huge boost.
He once phoned the night before my promotion play-off final with Oxford [against York in 2010] and passed on a couple of tips that helped me get the win.”
What is Chris Wilder’s Religion:
The football manager is a devout Christian. Chris Wilder, just like many Liverpool families, is believed to have come from a Christian family background. However, there are little or no signs of his attachment to religion.
Fact Check:
Thanks for reading our Chris Wilder Biography and Childhood Story. We strive for accuracy and fairness to give you the stories of Football Managers for both club and country. Surely, our stories on Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca will interest your reading pleasure. If you find something that doesn’t look right, please share it with us by commenting below. We’ll always value and respect your ideas.
