‘Oli should have been our number 9 at Blades’

SHEFFIELD UNITED BOSS'S REGRET

- By BARRY COOPER

Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder says Hull City striker Oli McBurnie should be his number nine, and not banging in the goals for the Tigers, ahead of their meeting at the MKM Stadium this weekend.

McBurnie held talks with his former club in the summer but Ruben Selles, the ex-Tigers head coach who was in charge at Bramall Lane, opted against signing him on a free transfer.

The 29-year-old was City’s primary summer target and they managed to snap him up, ahead of United and another of his former clubs, Swansea City, and it’s proved to be one of their best pieces of business in years with him well on the way to repaying their faith.

His seven goals and three assists in the early weeks of the season have been fundamental to the Tigers’ bright start to the new season, and he bagged his second brace in Tigers colours in the comeback draw with Preston North End on Tuesday night to cap what has been the best start to any season in his professional career.

Now back in the Bramall Lane dugout after Selles’ exit, Wilder worked with McBurnie at Bramall Lane, having paid £20m to sign him from Swansea in 2019, and appeared less than impressed that Selles passed up the chance to bring the forward back to the Steel City.