Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder has defended his new signing Jack Rodwell - insisting he is not concerned over his negative portrayal in the Sunderland 'Til I Die documentary.
Former Everton, Manchester City, Sunderland midfielder Rodwell has signed for the Blades on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
The 28-year-old had been a free agent following a short spell with Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers, and had been training with Wilder's side for several weeks before penning the deal on Friday morning.
Rodwell spent four seasons on Wearside following a £12 million transfer from Manchester City in 2014, but it soon unravelled for the former England international at the Stadium of Light .
The midfielder came under heavy criticism for his actions in the Netflix documentary Sunderland 'Til I Die, which showed him refusing to agree to the cancellation of his contract worth a reported £70,000 per week.
Speaking ahead of the Blades' FA Cup clash with AFC Fylde, Wilder believes while the Black Cats fans may "chuckle" over his new signing, he is confident Rodwell has the qualities to become a success at Bramall Lane.
Wilder said: "I think there might be a club up in the North East, their supporters might chuckle over stuff at Jack Rodwell.
"There's two parts to that story by the way. I'm not a lover of fly-on-the-wall documentaries and they're always looking for a villain.
"But from my point of view that's history. All the boxes I needed to tick and Jack needed to tick, he has done.
"Hopefully we can get him going and Jack can get himself going."
January is expected to be a busy month for the Blades, with several incomings and outgoings anticipated before the window closes.
In Rodwell, Wilder hopes the club have found a player who can "kickstart" his career and deliver on his early promise.
The Sheffield United manager added: "All the signings have my fingerprints on them - we have to make sure because we're a football club that really can't afford to make many mistakes in the transfer market.
"He was a player that at the start of his career was very highly regarded, a couple of big-money moves and for him it's just stalled a little bit. But hopefully we can kickstart his career.
"He's certainly got the desire from a physical point of view, [and there's] no issues from an attitude point of view."
