Sheffield United need to stay hungry, says manager Wilder

(Reuters) - Sheffield United have gained confidence from their successful Premier League campaign but they must now ensure they do not take their foot of the gas as they look to hit new heights next season, manager Chris Wilder has said.

The Blades, who returned to the Premier League this season after a 12-year absence, are eighth in the standings with 54 points. With just one game left to play, their four-point cushion over 11th-placed Everton guarantees them a top-half finish.

"I believe we have taken confidence from what we have done this season but I do know how the game is," Wilder, 52, told the Daily Mail.

"I want more from myself and the players... The Premier League has been everything I hoped it would be. But I am not a comfortable manager. We have climbed a mountain but we have not come this far to only get this far.

"We all know the hard work has to continue. Not being comfortable is the biggest thing I have to drill into the players because it has happened at a lot of football clubs."

The Blades were in the race for a European spot for a major chunk of the campaign and Wilder believes they have set the foundation for future success.

"It is such a cut-throat division. If you stand still, you are going to get hurt. This has to be a foundation for us to establish ourselves in the division. This has whetted the appetite. I want more of it," he said.

United end their campaign with a trip to 12th-placed Southampton on Sunday.

(Reporting by Arvind Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Sam Holmes)