Wilder will honour the season's stars

The former Alfreton Town, Halifax Town, Oxford United and Northampton Town manager agreed on Saturday to follow in the footsteps of Howard Webb, Joe Royle, Brian Flynn, Paul Fairclough, Steve Evans and last season’s guest of honour Dean Saunders when the annual awards return to the four star Brooklands Holiday Inn near Barnsley for the seventh year running on Sunday 15 April.

Still unique in the top levels of Non-League football with the winners chosen by managers and fans since former World Cup referee Webb handed out the inaugural accolades in 2012, the event will be broadcast live on Facebook for the second year running as Wilder honours a ‘Player of the Year’ and ‘Young Player of the Year’ in each of the NPL’s three divisions as well as the stars of the EVO-STIK League's historic 50th anniversary season in three ‘Teams of the Year’.

Stocksbridge-born Wilder played for a host of clubs in the Football League after kicking off his career as a Southampton trainee, most notably Sheffield United in two spells, Rotherham United, Notts County, Bradford City and Brighton before hanging up his playing boots at Halifax Town in 2001 after making 51 appearances for the Shaymen.

Wilder enjoyed a dream first season in charge at Bramall Lane after taking the helm in 2016, guiding his boyhood club to the League One title, pictured, and back to the Championship after six years away having previously led Northampton to the Sky Bet League Two title and Oxford United back into the Football League via the National League play-offs in 2010.

As well as honouring the EVO-STIK NPL’s finest including the EVO-STIK NPL Show's Fans' Player of the Year', the 50-year-old Blades boss is also set to inspire the league's next generation of stars coming through the NPL Football Academy. Like their seniors, they'll be honoured on stage for the third year running since first attending the awards in 2016 following the NPLFA's foundation in 2014.

Image courtesy of skysports.com/YouTube

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