ONE of football's most senior figures visited Sheffield United last night, shortly after the club revealed ambitions to put itself firmly at the centre of the international game.
Mr Warner, who is also president of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) also watched a Sheffield United team play.
The Blades under-20s squad played an exhibition match against a side from Trinidad and Tobago in preparation for their FIFA World Under-20 Championships campaign.
Less than a fortnight ago, Sheffield United's chief executive Jason Rockett revealed the club had put itself forward to host football matches as part of the London 2012 Olympics. Bramall Lane chiefs made the bid after Aston Villa was forced to pull out of the Olympic running because it could not commit to having its stadium, Villa Park, ready for 2012.
Sheffield United also hopes to be one of the host stadiums for the World Cup in 2018 if FIFA give England the nod as the host country for the tournament that year.
A Sheffield 2018 campaign has already been launched, supported by the city council and Sheffield Wednesday which could also host some World Cup matches.
A spokesman for the club said: "As part of his visit to the city, Mr Warner was given a tour of the Blades' Legends of the Lane museum.
"His visit to the city also coincided with Sheffield's bid to stage World Cup matches in 2018 and the game was an opportunity to demonstrate that the club can stage international matches."
Mr Warner is from Trinidad and Tobago and owns one of the country's most successful football clubs, Joe Public FC. He is also a politician and a member of the country's parliament.
He has been a member of the FIFA executive committee since 1983, and CONCACAF president since 1990. He has courted controversy with his opinions on who should host the World Cup in 2018, saying that England would not be a "popular" choice.