CHRIS Wilder says guiding Oxford United back into the Football League ranks alongside his success at Sheffield United.

Tomorrow marks the tenth anniversary of the 3-1 Conference play-off final win against York City at Wembley.

It was crucial to get out of the non-league quagmire and Wilder played a key role to get them over the line.

Since leaving the U’s in 2014 his career has gone from strength-to-strength, steering the Blades from League One to the top flight.

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But the Wembley glory in 2010 remains a cherished achievement for the 52-year-old.

“Through your playing and managerial career there are highs and lows and from my point of view this is definitely right up there,” he said.

“Leading Sheffield United into the Premier League is a huge achievement, but this was a special moment.”

He added: “There’s quite a lot of regret over how the story ended, but I look back at the time with great fondness.”

The stakes were high against York, where defeat would have meant a fifth season in the Conference.

Chairman Kelvin Thomas said: “Jim Smith basically said if we didn’t win this game we’d go out of business.

“It wasn’t true, but it wasn’t far from the truth.

“It would have been a real rough ride if we hadn’t got promoted.”

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He added: “What Chris gave to the football club was something else.

“I can’t talk highly enough of what he did.”

More than 30,000 U’s fans made the trip to Wembley, but they had to wait until Alfie Potter’s stoppage-time strike to relax.

It began a party which went on for days.

Wilder said: “To finish in the way we did – Alfie’s goal, the scenes at the end, coming back to Oxford, the open-top bus going round the city – was brilliant.

“I remember going back to Woodstock and going long into the night and then it obviously started again.

“It was fabulous. We were back on the coupon after a long time out and it shouldn’t have been that way.

“I’m proud to have played a small part of the rehabilitation and the renaissance of a huge football club.”