Ruben Selles speaks on his appointment and his ambitious plans for Sheffield United as they look to the 2025/26 season.
The 42 year old former Southampton, Reading and Hull boss expressed enthusiasm for joining the Blades, citing the club’s passionate football environment, rich history, and ambitious vision as key reasons for his decision.
He highlighted the ownership’s goal to build a sustainable, competitive team with a clear playing style, aiming for long-term success.
Selles, who replaces Chris Wilder, explained the importance of integrating data and new technologies while preserving the essence of football, drawing on his diverse coaching and academic background.
He praised the squad’s competitiveness, noting their near-promotion last season, and plans to enhance the team with new signings.
Reflecting on his previous success against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, Selles aims to create a proactive, aggressive, and vertical team identity.
His experiences at Southampton, Reading, and Hull have shaped his resilience and adaptability, preparing him for this challenge.
Selles values English football’s intense atmosphere and high quality, particularly at Bramall Lane, and seeks to build a strong connection with fans.
He is bringing trusted staff members with him, and plans to add experienced coaches, while attention turns to pre-season preparations, including a training camp in Girona, will focus on fitness and team bonding, with recruitment underway to strengthen the squad for the upcoming season.
Interviewer: Ruben, welcome to Sheffield United. What makes this club the perfect destination for you?
Ruben: Well, thank you very much. As you know from my dialogue with the passion of the game, England has always been a country that I have been looking forward to work. I have been very fortunate in the last three years. And being here, remembering the times of the team in the Premier League and also playing against the team in the championship last year, a place where you can feel the football. That is changing, but you can feel the environment that is very powerful, supporting the players. And when we first hear about the possibility to come here, it was a no brainer for us to join a club with that kind of history and, with the mission to move forward and, try to be even more competitive.
Interviewer: Quite obviously, you’ve spoken at length with the ownership here. What did they say to you about their vision for the future?
Ruben: Well, it’s a very powerful, and ambitious project. So, obviously, right now in the division is just to create a sustainable model where we can have a team that can be really powerful and moving in the long term to have a team that, we can recognise, we can be excited about the play the game that we style of game of play that we have and, obviously, trying to reach to the maximum level.
Interviewer: And they’ve made no secret of their desire to use data more, and you’ve got a background in that as well as coaching as well?
Ruben: Yes. I think, nowadays, you need to embrace, not only the data also, the new technologies, but, the most important thing is just don’t forget the football essence. So I think, we are capable to deliver a good model where we can optimise our performance by using all the tools that we have. And I think that because of my background, I have been working in some different roles and, in different technical staffs. I’m capable to understand and put those things together as we have done in our previous club. So I think it’s a big excitement on me just to be able and capable to do it.
Interviewer: And having that aligned vision kind of from top to bottom, I mean, how important was that for you?
Ruben: It’s very important when you start conversations and also when you come to a club that, everyone is in the same page and nothing from the very beginning, the start of our meetings and the way that we have been talking, we see the game in the same way. And it’s important to be supported by the ownership group in the terms of the idea and, also to support the club in terms of how we can move the club forward.
Interviewer: Your coaching career is quite well known, but you’ve also got a an academic background as well. You’ve packed a fair bit in over the years. So how much of those experiences developed you as a person?
Ruben: I’m absolutely working in more than in some different clubs and countries in the last, fifteen years. It always gives you a different perspective from our time in Azerbaijan or Denmark to our time in England or other different countries. And coming from Spain, I think my academic background has been giving me the possibility to work in professional football, and through that, that obviously was my passion when I was a child and it’s still my passion. I have been able to to grow into into the game and arrive into a country like England that is, the best in the world in terms of football and being able to coach teams. And now in the level of Sheffield United is massive. So I think I believe that everything happened for a reason in in your life, and every step that I have made has been trying to reach the very best clubs and the very best football, and that’s why I think we are here today.
Interviewer: What are your initial thoughts then on the squad you’ve inherited here?
Ruben: The team has been really competitive, just missing the promotion last year in the last game, and, have been a good work behind that. So I think it’s a lot of good attributes that we have in the team, in the squad. Obviously, as in any season, you will have some players that, have been already going out because their contact is sparring, some new players, exciting moments. So I think we are in a good place as a club, and, our task my task as a manager is just to get what we have got right now and try to make the place a better place.
Interviewer: And, of course, you came up against Sheffield United quite recently, one of the few teams to have success at Bramall Lane. What were your memories of that game?
Ruben: Well, I think it was a really powerful game for us in that moment. We needed an a kind of game like that. Obviously, Sheffield United has not lost at home in the entire season by that moment. Very difficult night, but we did a lot of things well in that day, And, we were capable to play one of the more our most competitive game in the season. So the memories are really, really good from that day, and I hope to build a lot of more memories in that stadium with our fans now.
Interviewer: What can our fans expect from a Sheffield United Ruben Selles side?
Ruben: Our identity is always very clear. We wanna be aggressive. We wanna be front footed. We wanna be vertical, and, we wanna make things happen. So they can expect a team that is not gonna wait or is gonna or is gonna be reactive. We are gonna be proactive. We are gonna go and try to be as much competitive as we can every single game. And, if we do that proper, we will have very good chances to win every single game.
Interviewer: And your coaching period in England, I think it’s fair to say you’ve taken on difficult challenges but have done really well. What’s kind of your experience at managing the likes of Southampton, Reading, and Hull? How have they shaped you?
Ruben: Well, thank you. It has been it has been different, challenges, different levels, and, obviously, I’ve been in different situations, with Southampton in the Premier League. The situation when I was assistant coach of two managers there and then needed to take the team as an interim manager, the team it was already difficult, but I think we did as good as we can, and and we fight our best. Unfortunately, we didn’t get what we want until the end of the season. Then Reading was a completely different situation because of the situation of the club. First of all, our main target was to keep the club alive. That’s what we did. And the second thing was to make that team competitive and I think and managing the difficult moments with points, deduction, and different situations out of the what is the game, out of the grass. We managed to be successful in that in that kind of circumstance and end up in our period there in the playoffs, actually. And that’s when Hull City came to us, quite a difficult moment for the club, being bottom of the championship, not winning 11 games. And it was difficult, obviously, when you arrive in the club in the middle of the season, but I think we managed to to get the team in the division for next season to create a platform for future performances. And, yeah, it was everything happened for a reason, and I’m glad that we went through all those moments just to be able to be sitting here with you and to be able to look at the future in a club like Sheffield United, and we are gonna compete, for absolutely everything this season.
Interviewer: With that in mind and that the bank of experience that you developed now in England, do you feel this is the right time to take on a challenge like Sheffield United?
Ruben: I feel ready. I feel full of energy, and I feel that, I have, right now, myself and the guys that is coming with me, a good mix between, knowledge and experience, and time in the not only in the division, also in the country, in my case. So I think it’s a really good moment.
Interviewer: And you obviously like England and English football. So what is it about English football that stands out for you?
Ruben: Well, a lot of things. The first thing is about the atmosphere at the stadium, the game day, the the the the game atmosphere in every stadium, the fans supporting the club and the feeling on the streets. I think that that kind of full support, not only in the Premier League, in almost every level in England, is just massive, the way that you, in this country, live football. And the second part is about the game. I think right now, big clubs, big evolutions in first tyre, but also in second tyre, the tempo of the game, the quality of the players, I think, as a whole country as a whole country, there is, no country like England right now to be working in football.
Chris Wilder speaks after being sacked by Sheffield United with Ruben Selles appointed
Interviewer: And you’ll have experienced a little bit of that at Bramall Lane last season. What your impressions kind of the fans and the stadium and and the history of the club?
Ruben: Well, as I say, the the history of the club is massive, and the environment and atmosphere at the stadium that day was amazing. And as I have seen, the team during the season following in the playoffs fully support, and that’s what we need to build. We need to build a relation with our fan base. We need to create that kind of environment in our stadium that is very difficult for the opposition to play against us. And if as usual, if we need to do something, we need to do it together. So I my ambition is just to create that, kind of team that can be really powerful at home and away, but can create that connection with the fans that we can enjoy the football matches.
Interviewer: And in terms of a backroom team, you’re bringing some familiar faces with you?
Ruben: Yeah. We are, James and Tully have been working with me in in my previous clubs in England, and they have been, fundamental for my success. So, obviously, every time we speak about I speak about myself, I speak about them. And, we are also working to to come with a little bit, more experienced coach with us, so we will, we will have some, some new faces and things like that.
Interviewer: And players obviously due back soon, so what are two things I’m guessing to implement there before, before they come back?
Ruben: Well, it’s just important for us that they come, as fit as they can, so they should be I know that that long season when they needed some time to rest. And now soon, they will start the period when they need to prepare for the pre season because we have some less days than our opposition just to prepare the first game of the season, and we need to maximise our time. So I expect the team because the all the reports that I read is that the team has been, taking good care of themselves. So I expect the players coming full of energy, ready to go into the season, and ready to get in with us and start to work with us together.
Interviewer: And with that in mind, that training camp in Girona, obviously, will be really important for you?
Ruben: It’s always a good time to spend some hours with them, to train in a quiet environment, to spend moments off the pitch, also to try to make those extra meetings, video, or even just to have a coffee and start to know each other a little bit better.
Interviewer: And finally recruitment, obviously, you’d be looking to add some new faces to the group that you already got?
Ruben: Yes. It’s always like that in this period of the year. In the summer window, obviously, some of the contracts expiring, some players that are not gonna be able to join us for next season. Situations happen in the market, so we expect some players to join us and make us even more competitive.
