Previously in charge of Middlesbrough, West Brom and Bradford, Robson will have as assistant manager Brian Kidd who moves up from a coaching role at the Yorkshire club.

Warnock resigned last week immediately after the 1-2 home defeat to Wigan which send the Blades crashing out of the Premiership. He had been seven and a half years at Bramall Lane.

Robson, who has been out of work since leaving West Brom in September 2006, has experience of winning promotion having guided Middlesbrough to the top flight in 1995 and, after a relegation, 1998.

He successfully kept West Brom in the Premiership in 2005 but they were relegated last year and Robson left the club after a disappointing start to the next campaign.

Robson said he was delighted to be taking over a side that was already packed with talent and well-placed to jump back into the Premiership next season.

"I'm delighted to come back with such an ambitious squad," he told Sky Sports News.

"It's a great challenge, we have some good players and with just a bit of fine-tuning they have a great chance of getting back up, but it will take a lot of hard work.

"I would like to keep all the best players and give them the challenge of getting back up, but also build the club so if we go up we have a better chance of surviving."

Blades chairman Kevin McCabe said Robson was the man to lead Sheffield back into the top flight.

"Bryan is an experienced manager but also as we all know was a fantastic player, and we believe he is the manager who will blend the squad and improve Sheffield United and lead us back to where we rightfully belong, in the Premiership, in a short space of time," he said.