Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder has claimed he will never manage Sheffield Wednesday due to his links to Steel City rivals Sheffield United. 

Wilder had multiple spells with the Blades as a player and spent five years in the dugout at Bramall Lane – taking the club from League One to the Premier League.

He left United midway through the 2020/21 campaign and is now in charge at Championship rivals Middlesbrough.

The Teessiders are set to host fellow North East side Sunderland at the Riverside this evening, which has reignited the debate over whether the clash is a derby or not as Newcastle United at the Black Cats' main local rivals.

With former Boro boss Tony Mowbray now in charge at the Stadium of Light, Wilder was pressed on whether he could see himself taking over at Wednesday in the future and delivered a firm response.

He told Gazette Live: "Manage Sheffield Wednesday? Are you kidding me? I think it’s safe to say I wouldn’t fancy a little wander out at Hillsborough. I’m driving through there to get to the motorway – that’s all I’m doing!"

Middlesbrough can move out of the bottom three with a win against Sunderland tonight while three points for the visitors could see them rise as high as fourth.

The Verdict

This strong claim from Wilder should come as no surprise given his strong links to the Blades.

While there may be some debate over whether Middlesbrough v Sunderland is a derby, there is no question about how Sheffield's two EFL sides feel about each other.

There is no love lost between the Steel City rivals despite the two sides having not faced off since 2019.

United supporters will likely love to hear Wilder reiterate his stance on the Owls while Wednesday fans may well say that they wouldn't him at the helm anyway.