Oxford United are proud to announce that Chris Wilder has been appointed as First Team Manager

Chris, 41, has great experience at this level of the game, having guided Halifax Town to the play-off final in 2006 and managed them for over 300 matches in very testing circumstances.

More recently he has been assistant manager at Bury, who he has currently helped to second place in League Two.

As a player Chris began his career at Southampton and played for eleven clubs including Sheffield United, Rotherham and Bradford, totalling over 400 senior appearances in his career.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas was delighted with the appointment:

"Chris is a young mananger who is very highly regarded within the game. We have held interviews with six leading candidates and Chris is the one who impressed us the most with his hunger, his ideas, and his knowledge of this league. He has worked at this level for over six years and didn't really have a level playing field at Halifax but still managed to get them to a play-off final.

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"This season he has played a big part in taking Bury to the top of the table and we were extremely impressed with the way he came across at interview.

"Chris can call on all of the experience of Jim Smith and will have Mickey Lewis as his assistant and we absolutely believe that he is the right man to take this club forward."

Jim Smith was equally pleased:

"I'm delighted that Chris has joined us. Having been part of the process to find the new manager Chris impressed me greatly, as he did as manager at Halifax where he built a good footballing side in very difficult circumstances. The quality of all of the interviewees was excellent and Chris came out on top in his own rights. I wish him every success. I'm sure the fans will warm to his honesty, hard work and his qualities."