Raul Jimenez has spoken warmly about the experience of scoring a last-gasp winner against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, telling BBC Radio WM that the emotion in that moment was "what I missed sometimes, this right feeling."

The Wolves striker netted in the 90th minute to seal a 1-0 victory for Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the goal coming directly in front of the travelling supporters. It was, by his own account, the kind of occasion that reminds a footballer why he plays.

A statement win in the Championship

The result is a significant one in the context of the second tier. Sheffield United arrived at this fixture having been talked up by their own manager, Chris Wilder, as a side "in good shape" following a productive transfer window. Wilder had publicly defended the club against critics and spoken of being "delighted" with results on the road. A home defeat to Wolves, settled so late, will sting.

For Wolverhampton, the three points carry a different kind of weight. Jimenez acknowledged in his BBC Radio WM interview that he is happy to be back in the city and relishing the challenge of competing in the Championship. That framing, a striker of his experience treating the second tier as a genuine challenge rather than a holding pattern, will be well received by supporters who have backed the club through a difficult period.

The striker did not dress up the significance of the division. He described it as demanding, and the Bramall Lane fixture underlined that point. Sheffield United's home ground has rarely been an easy place to take anything, and a 90th-minute winner there is not the sort of result that arrives without real effort.

What Jimenez said

Speaking on Radio WM, Jimenez kept his comments grounded. He described the feeling in the stadium at the moment of the goal as something he had genuinely missed, and was clear that playing in front of the Wolves travelling end in that fashion was what he came back for. He stopped well short of triumphalism, which is consistent with a player who has been through serious setbacks in his career and approaches each opportunity with an evident appreciation of what it means.

There was also a clear eye on what comes next. Jimenez pointed to the upcoming derby against West Bromwich Albion as a "must win" game, which is the kind of language clubs use carefully. A West Midlands derby in the Championship carries its own atmosphere and consequences in the table, and Wolves will know that how they handle that fixture will say a good deal about where they genuinely sit in the promotion conversation.

The bigger picture for both clubs

For Sheffield United, the loss is a setback but not yet a derailment. Wilder's squad has shown enough in recent weeks to suggest there is substance behind the confidence, and one home defeat to a strong Wolves side need not define their campaign. The manner of it, conceding so late, will be the part that lingers.

Wolves, meanwhile, head into the Albion derby with momentum and, perhaps more importantly, with a striker who is clearly finding his feet in the division. Jimenez's willingness to talk publicly about missing this feeling, and then producing it in the 90th minute at Bramall Lane, is the sort of thing that builds a connection between a player and a fanbase.

That connection, as much as any tactic or transfer, tends to matter when the Championship gets tight in the new year.

Frequently asked

Who scored the winner for Wolves against Sheffield United?
Raul Jimenez scored a 90th-minute winner at Bramall Lane to give Wolves a 1-0 victory over Sheffield United.
What did Jimenez say after the Sheffield United match?
Speaking on BBC Radio WM, Jimenez said the feeling of scoring directly in front of the Wolves supporters was 'what I missed sometimes, this right feeling,' and that he is happy to be back in Wolverhampton.
What is Wolves' next big game after the Sheffield United win?
According to Jimenez, Wolves regard the upcoming Championship derby against West Bromwich Albion as a 'must win' game.