New Sheffield United Boss Ruben Selles on His Coaching Style, Mentality & More | OneFootball

As Sheffield United prepare for the 2025/26 Championship campaign, new manager Ruben Selles has wasted no time in laying down a clear marker of what fans can expect: an intense, proactive, and purposeful brand of football.

In his first interview with BBC Radio Sheffield, Selles offered a glimpse into the identity he wants to build at Bramall Lane.

Ruben Selles on the New Sheffield United Identity & His Philosophy

PORTSMOUTH, ENGLAND – MAY 03: Ruben Selles, Manager of Hull City celebrates at the final whistle the Sky Bet Championship match between Portsmouth FC and Hull City AFC at Fratton Park on May 03, 2025 in Portsmouth, England. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

“The way we have been trying to build the game is to build the game when we are very proactive, we are not waiting for things to happen, we want to be creating situations, defending and attacking we want to be aggressive and front-footed, and then we want to be vertical in our attack,” said Selles. “We want to prepare a team that is very intense. When we have the ball we want to be trying to find the opposition box as quickly as we can… and when we lose the ball we want to recover the ball as quickly as possible to continue attacking.”

Selles’ desire to “provoke things to happen” rather than wait for them mirrors both his tactical outlook and career path, he explained to BBC Radio Sheffield.

“Obviously, your career and your experiences, this is who you are [as a coach/manager]. I left my country when I was 25 to start to work in Greece… I don’t know the last time I was in my comfort zone, that must’ve been about 20 years ago… I’m not the kind of person to wait for things to happen, I will provoke things to happen.”

That mentality could be vital as Sheffield United look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign last time out where they were left heartbroken in the play-off final against Sunderland, at Wembley Stadium. But, Selles is quick to stress that style alone won’t bring success. It starts with people’s mindset.

“First of all, I try to create a relation of trust. We need to set the standards high and I know that it’s a really good group of players in that dressing room… I’m a manager who trusts my players but I’m very firm with my principles… We create the idea and they need to go and play with the idea.”

With many of the club’s young players expected to play bigger roles this season, that clarity of instruction and confidence in the group will be essential. So too will be his leadership off the pitch. While the club’s owners have referred to him as a “culture setter”, Selles has played that down.

“I don’t like titles. I’m just a coach that has passion for football, likes to be better every day, and likes things done in the proper way… We just want to create space for everyone everyday to be better. Usually we are successful and this is what we do… The more you give to us the better you will be.”

Selles also addressed his intensity. a trait fans may already see reflected in how he communicates, how he sets up his training, and how he will manage the Blades from the touchline.

“Yeah I am an intense person. I’m an intense person and an intense coach and that’s how I want my team to play, intense, because that’s who I am and that’s how we do things. I try to give my very best for everyone… especially I want the boys to be better and the best way I can do that is with passion for the game.”

The Spanish coach has explained what his first messages and instructions will be to the United squad. He explained: “The first message will be really simple. It’s going to be a couple of lines of how we want to play, a couple of lines about how we do things, and how we can implement those ideas on the training ground and with the video. The beginning is always simple because everyone is full of energy.”

Selles shared a word on everything that surrounds Sheffield United Football Club as he insisted “it’s everything you want as a coach”.

“It’s everything you can have as a coach. Big city, very noisy stadium, very good atmosphere and a very good group of players with an ownership supporting the club with ambition to move the club forward and get to the very top. It’s everything you want as a coach.”

Lastly, the 42-year-old gave a message to the fans that will be extremely eager to see what their new manager has changed within the side’s setup from both a tactical and mental point of view.

He said: “I’ll thank them for the warm welcome they’ve given me and my message is I understand completely what it means to be a football fan. We are here to play for them and play the kind of football they can identify with and have the kind of team they can cheer and support and be behind.”

A Cultural Change at Bramall Lane

Sheffield United supporters won’t have to wait long to see their new manager’s system and philosophy in place, with their pre-season campaign set to kick-off in just a couple of weeks time.

In the meantime, the Blades will be hoping to supply their new boss with some new players having seen Ben Brereton Diaz, Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Hamza Choudhury, Alfie Gilchrist, Harry Clarke and Rob Holding all go back to their parent teams following their loan spells at Bramall Lane.

Additionally, the club are still negotiating a new contract for versatile forward Rhian Brewster, with the Liverpool academy graduate coming off his best statistical season as a Blade, netting four goals and providing three assists in 39 Championship appearances.

United have already been linked with a number of incomings such as: towering centre-back Henrik Falchener, soon to be free agent Oli McBurnie, versatile midfielder Steven Alzate, who played under Selles at Hull City last term, and Tottenham Hotspur young duo Ashley Phillips and Alfie Devine.