Wilder: Our thoughts are with Kop duo
HEARTBREAK: Keeper Alisson
CHRIS WILDER believes the personal heartbreak suffered by Jurgen Klopp and Alisson puts everything into perspective.
The Kop duo have been dealt huge off-field blows, with Klopp losing his mother, Elisabeth, earlier this month and keeper Alisson reeling from the death of his father in a swimming accident back home in Brazil.
But as Sheffield United boss Wilder (below) prepares to welcome Klopp’s stars today, he believes that football can help heal the pain and provide some solace.
He said: “There are always situations which happen in people’s personal lives. I know Jurgen didn’t want to comment but they are happening everywhere to everyone.
“But you get back to earth, you concentrate on work and concentrate on football.
“Maybe I’m stating the obvious and you can look on it and say football doesn’t matter – but football does, it ends up mattering. We all have that same situation and perspective of things that have happened.
“In time we come back to the one thing that is consistent and it’s that game of football. So many people have been affected by this.”
Wilder and his Blades have suffered on the pitch this season and look to be heading back to the Championship.
But he has faced adversity head on and will continue to do so.
Wilder added: “That’s my personality and how I look at it.
“Others may do it differently, but if you want to know what I’m about, we are transparent – we talk in an open way. We enjoy the good times and get through the bad ones in the same manner.
“But it definitely keeps things in perspective. It’s been a year no one can understand or enjoy but we’re looking to get out of the back end of it now and get back to the normality we’re all used to.
“Things we have taken for granted a bit in the past, maybe we will all look back on and change our minds and approach about.”
IF it had not been for a mix-up over the time-zone difference with Norway, Erling Braut Haaland would now be at Manchester United.
But in an incredible twist of fate, one of Europe’s hottest strikers ended up signing for Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg instead.
Everton also failed to snap up Haaland – now at Borussia Dortmund – after he came with a strong recommendation from their then scout in Scandinavia, former Millwall keeper Bryan King.
King, 73, who still lives in Norway, recalled: “The first game I saw Erling play was Under-15s for Norway against Sweden – and he scored from the halfway line. I was surprised no English club went in for him then, even at that young age.
“He looked an old English-type centre-forward, very powerful.”
It was Norwegian club Molde, at the time managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who took Haaland on at 16, and helped nurture the precocious skills.
Two years on, after being installed as Manchester United boss, Solskjaer
wanted to bring Haaland, now 20, to Old Trafford. It was arranged for a United representative to ring Haaland’s agent, Jim Solbakken, at 9am and finalise a transfer worth £3million plus add-ons.
Molde believed that was at 9am Norwegian time, not English time.
United’s call came at 10am in Scandinavia – but by then Molde had done a deal with Salzburg, who had rung up at the correct hour.
Super agent Mino Raiola is now guiding Haaland’s affairs as United, Manchester City, Chelsea and a host of European giants try to move in on the free-scoring striker.
And King added: “It’s going to cost anyone around £100m to buy him now.”
ARSENAL are among a host of top clubs eyeing a summer move for Wigan striker Kyle Joseph.
The 19-year-old (right) has broken through this season after coming through the ranks at League One Latics, scoring five goals in 14 league outings.
The Gunners have been tracking his progress for some time, along with other Premier League and Championship clubs.
Joseph, who was born in London but represents Scotland at age group level, is also on the radars of SPL giants Rangers and Celtic, as well as clubs in Europe.