David Weir named Sheffield United boss

FORMER Scotland, Rangers and Hearts defender David Weir was yesterday named Sheffield United boss and described his first managerial role as a “privilege”.

United missed out on promotion to the Championship when they lost to Yeovil in the end-of-season play-offs, but the Bramall Lane club have a big fan base and undoubted potential and 43-year-old Weir, who worked as a coach under David Moyes at Everton last season before his fellow Scot left to take the Manchester United job, is relishing the challenge.

Weir, who retired as a player in 2012, has signed a three-year deal and replaces Danny Wilson, sacked in April with five games of the regular season remaining. He becomes the Blades’ seventh permanent manager in the last seven years.

Weir told www.sufc.co.uk: “My first thoughts about the job are of excitement, I understand how privileged I am to be named manager of a fantastic football club like Sheffield United. I realise what a great opportunity is in front of me now and my message to the supporters is that I will work hard and give everything to be successful at Bramall Lane. I honestly can’twait to get started and get a real feel for the club, then obviously I am eager to get organised for when the players return for pre-season training later this month.”

Blades coach Chris Morgan had been placed in temporary charge following Wilson’s departure and had been hoping to land the job.

Central Coast Mariners boss Graham Arnold had also been interviewed, along with former Blades midfielder and coach Stuart McCall, who opted to remain as Motherwell manager after leading the Fir Park side to second spot in the SPL and a place in Europe.

Another former player at Bramall Lane, Port Vale coach Robert Page, ex-Blackburn, Blackpool and Portsmouth manager Michael Appleton and former Middlesbrough boss

Gareth Southgate were also reported to have been on the club’s shortlist.

Chief executive Julian Winter said: “We are thrilled to appoint David and the three-year contract emphasises the fact that he will assist in a change in club culture. The club needs to act differently and David is young, has a great pedigree and will bring a new vision and leadership.

“The process of appointing a new manager has taken slightly longer than we envisaged, but by taking our time we believe we have attracted the right man to take Sheffield United forward.”

Weir, who began his playing career at Falkirk before a three-year spell at Hearts, moved south of the border to join Everton in 1999 and went on to make over 230 appearances for the Goodison Park side.

He returned to Scotland in 2007 with Rangers, where he made over 140 appearances in five years before announcing he wanted to extend his playing

career back in England.

Weir trained briefly with the Blades, but instead returned to Everton in early 2012 to join the club’s coaching staff.

He is understood to have been interviewed for the post of manager at Goodison Park following Moyes’ departure to Manchester United and was also linked with a possible return to Hearts as a member of Gary Locke’s management team.

Weir won 69 caps for Scotland and became the oldest ever international player for his country when he appeared against Lithuania in September 2010, aged 40 years and 116 days.