Ruben Selles on His Mission to Get Sheffield United Back to the Premier League: Hints at Tactical Changes Which Would Impact Gustavo Hamer | OneFootball

Ruben Selles’ appointment as Sheffield United manager may have surprised many, especially given his lack of managerial experience in the Championship.

But, Selles is extremely determined to prove the doubters wrong by steering the Blades back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.

The Spanish coach recently sat down with local and national press where he faced several questions. Here is what he had to say to Sky Sports.

Sheffield United New Boss Speaks on His “Make Things Happen” Mindset

“We have been in the last three years fighting for different targets than the target that we have here right now, that’s what’s making it more exciting,” he said.

“Sheffield United is a well‑known club. It’s a massive fan base supporting the club, a city that likes the football at the club with a big heart, and a club that has been successful in the last years. That’s the thing that we identify, and that’s why we want to do it, because it’s very powerful.”

Selles’ journey into managing football clubs in England has certainly been an unorthodox route, but one that is becoming more common in the modern game with this new breed of young and promising managers and head coaches.

The 42-year-old took a journey from Spain through to Greece, Russia, Norway, Denmark and Azerbaijan before finally getting to England, and this journey is where he’s shaped his tactical outlook on the game as well as his mentality both as a manager and in general life.

“The first thing that I learned is that I need to make things happen; I cannot wait. If I was waiting at home for the opportunity to come, I will probably not be here to sit with you today, and that has been a big lesson. If you want to make something happen, you need to try to be brave and try to go and get it.”

Ruben Selles Now Has A Platform to Show What He Can Do

This season will be like no other he’s faced before though; it is fair to say this job at Sheffield United is his first role as a manager where the club’s situation is toxic or negative.

At Southampton as the interim boss a few years ago, relegation was on the cards long before he took the hot seat.

At Reading, he faced points deductions in his first season and was forced to do business in the free agent and loan market whilst promoting several youth academy players to even make up an eligible squad. Despite this, he achieved a solid mid-table finish in League One in 2023/24. And last term, being forced to build his squad under the exact same criteria, he led the Royals to sixth before taking the Hull City job.

Selles took over at Hull when the club were bottom of the Championship, but the Spaniard eventually guided them to safety. Yet, the Hull City owner, Acun Ilicali, sacked him.

I am told the reasoning for the sacking was a dispute between the Hull owner and Selles regarding the lack of usage of a loan player. Ilicali was unhappy about this due to the funds/wages it took for Hull to sign the player only for him to be left on the bench or in the reserves during Selles’ short tenure.

Nevertheless, Selles moves onto bigger and better things, and he is prepared to “fight” to get the Blades back to the Premier League.

“Not a lot of clubs have been able to achieve that promotion and then stay in the league, so it’s about how we are sustainable. I think right now, in terms of football and everything… we are away from that level, we will fight to be back to that level.”

Selles Urges Sheffield United Owners to Keep Gustavo Hamer at Bramall Lane Amid Transfer Speculation

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – MARCH 28: Gustavo Hamer of Sheffield United celebrates with team-mates Harrison Burrows and Hamza Choudhury after scoring the opening goal from a free-kick during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Coventry City FC at Bramall Lane on March 28, 2025 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Of course, the job will be made slightly easier if Sheffield United keep their best players at the club this summer. The likes of Vinicius Souza and Gustavo Hamer drove the Blades on for the vast majority of the previous campaign, and both men will continue to be the subject of transfer rumours over the next couple of months. Especially Hamer.

Selles had this to say about the Dutchman: “I want him to be a Sheffield United player when the market closes. Obviously, I cannot control what will happen with the future because the market is so fluid and dynamic, but my intention is just to keep him as one of our key players. If we can keep him that will mean that we will be in a really powerful place to achieve our target.”

There was a reason why Hamer was crowned the Championship Player of the Season in 2024/25. The 28-year-old played 44 Championship matches including the play-offs, registering ten goals and eight assists from an inverted left-winger (sometimes free roaming) position.

However, Selles has hinted at a potential role change for Hamer this summer. The new United boss has stated: “Wingers is a very important position for us. So we expect our wingers to be key players and those wingers with the characteristics of being dynamic, being front-footed, being good dribblers one-on-one, and have some goal contributions. Our approach is going to go more into that side. That will be something you can identify as different to last season.”

This indicates that Hamer could be involved more directly from a central position under Selles, likely the attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 type of shape or potentially the more attack-minded player in a midfield trio.

Either way, the Blades must get some wingers in over the next few weeks, and here’s hoping Sontje Hansen will be one of them.