Hull City's rapid rise is incentive for all Championship clubs, says Sheffield United boss Wilder

The Tigers have won six successive games in the Championship – unbeaten in nine – to rocket up the table, transforming what looked like a relegation battle into a promotion challenge.

Hull were second-bottom with just 16 points from 18 games after they lost at home to Nottingham Forest on November 24.

But since then manager Nigel Adkins’s side have won 23 out of a possible 27 points to go 10th, just four points adrift of sixth-placed Derby County.

Hull beat Championship leaders Leeds United 2-0 at Elland Road, held third-placed Norwich City to a 0-0 draw and thrashed Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 last weekend.

Blades boss Wilder believes Hull’s run of results is a reminder – not just to teams languishing outside of the top 10, but those ensconced in the promotion battle – of how quickly fortunes can shift.

“I still think that there is a hell of a lot to play for,” said Wilder. “There are still teams that will say, ‘we can win four, five or six successive games and get in there’.

“Hull are a great example of what can happen in this division. They have won six games on the spin and are now talking about the play-offs and automatic promotion.

“If that was talked about over in East Yorkshire maybe three months ago people would have looked at each other a bit silly. But that’s what can happen.

“Everyone will look at that and we will too. You have to keep playing well and picking up points because you can easily move out of the position you hold if you don’t do that.

“There will be many twists and turns throughout the remainder of the season.