Wilder believes '˜special' class of 2016 is '˜one of the finest' in Cobblers history

The Cobblers will collect the Sky Bet League Two title trophy following Saturday’s final home game of the season at a sell-out Sixfields, with Luton Town the opposition.

Formed in 1897, only two other Cobblers teams have won divisional titles, in 1963 and 1987, and Wilder says his ‘special’ squad deserves to be rated as ‘one of the finest’ the club has seen.

“I look at the players, and know what they are about, and know their personality and their characters,” said Wilder.

“They are not arrogant, they are not big time and they know there is another game to be played at home on Saturday.

“There will be no need for me to motivate these players at all, and I don’t think I have had to really motivate them at any time during the season.

“I don’t think I should with professional footballers, especially when it is going well.

“That is all down to the recruitment, and the players we have got in the football club.

“This is a special group that, without me being too soppy or emotional, deserve to go down as one of the finest group of players this football club has ever been involved with. Everything points that way in terms of the stats, the performances, and more importantly the character of the players.”

The Cobblers will be presented with the title trophy after the match on Saturday, but Wilder insists he and his team are just concentrating on the football - for now at least.

“We have a game to attack before any presentation,” said the Cobblers boss.

“If I am being honest about what happens afterwards. there will be a presentation, there will be a celebration, but that is at the back of my mind.

“The biggest thing is that we finish on a high at home, and we have to overcome stubborn opposition that have been in good form recently, especially on the road.

“We won’t be talking about who comes out first, who comes out last, who receives the trophy, what’s going on Saturday night.

“It will be ‘let’s go and make sure we get a win’, and we get a performance out of these players. That’s what we will be talking about as football staff”

Wilder is in no doubt the players will have the same mindset, and said: “The players are professional and they want to play well on Saturday, as they want to do well in everything they do.

“They have given me everything in every training session, in every game we have played up and down the country, they have put their lot in for this football club and they deserve all the credit and all the praise and accolades that go with what they have achieved.

“And that’s every one of them, whether they have played the smallest part or whether they have been Dave Buchanan who has played 46 games or whatever it is.

“It all adds up, and you talk to the players, and talk to the ones who have had promotions, and I think if you speak to any of them, this will top anything they have done in any of their careers.

“When you talk to the likes of Marc Richards, Dave Buchanan and Nicky Adams and the other players that have achieved, that is some going.”