SHEFFIELD United boss Chris Wilder says his players can use Cherries as an "inspiration" as the two sides prepare to go head-to-head this weekend.

Wilder's newly-promoted Blades will travel to Vitality Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off) for their first Premier League match since 2007.

While Sheffield United were being relegated from the top flight by losing 2-1 to Wigan on the final day 12 years ago, Cherries had just narrowly avoided dropping into League Two following losses at Carlisle and Port Vale.

The Blades have faced Cherries four times since then, all in League One, coming out on top on each occasion.

But with Eddie Howe preparing his side for their fifth straight Premier League season, they will be go into Saturday's clash as favourites.

And Wilder admits watching Cherries' rise from afar has served as motivation.

Speaking with Graham Nickless and Nigel Spackman on their Shooting from the Lip! podcast, Wilder said: "It's a great first game.

"I've got an awful lot of respect for Eddie and Jason Tindall.

"In my second year of pre-season at Sheffield United, we'd just got up into the Championship and Bournemouth were doing pre-season at the same training campus as us in Marbella.

"We looked round and Harry Arter, Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels, boys who had played with them in League One, were playing in the Premier League.

"It was great inspiration for the likes of our players that you can do, there's no reason why you can't and they have done.

"People talk about my story but the story of some of the players who have been on the journey from when we first got into the football club in League One, they're going to find themselves playing at Anfield and at Bournemouth as well, all these clubs."

He added: "They (Bournemouth) have done it in a fantastic way – teamwork, a lot of good work on the training ground and exceptional results that have established themselves in the Premier League.

"It's been unbelievable.

"When myself and Alan (Knill, assistant manager) were at Bury we played them the year when I think Jimmy Quinn was the manager. They were heading out (of the Football League).

"It's inspiration and just shows you hard work, work on the training ground, a bit of team spirit, a bit of knowledge, bring it all together and you can turn things around."

Sheffield United don't play any of last season's top eight until the fourth week of the season.

But Wilder knows Cherries will provide his side with a difficult opening test.

He said: "It's a great story down there, but a tough first game.

"It is quite funny when people talk to us and say, you've avoided Chelsea, Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham. And you go yeah, Bournemouth, look how well they've done.

"They beat Chelsea 4-0 last year and all the other results they've had down there.

"It's going to be a brilliant experience."

The full podcast with Wilder is available here.