Three Players Who Could Preserve Millions of Pounds for Sheffield Wednesday
Manager Danny Rohl praised goalkeeper Pierce Charles for showing promise as a long-term solution on Wednesday.
Joey Phuthi, a winger for the Owls, has signed for another season. He hopes to make an impression on the first squad the next season.
With five goals in his senior debut, striker Bailey Cadamarteri showed promise and might be a valuable addition to Wednesday’s attack line going ahead.
Sheffield Wednesday’s summer is going to be exciting because they made it through the Championship.
After a terrible start to the season under Xisco Munoz, the Owls were doomed to return to League One right away. However, they accomplished safety with a stunning comeback under Danny Rohl, finishing 20th in the standings.
Wednesday supporters were worried that Rohl may leave the team this summer, but the German has committed to a new long-term deal at Hillsborough, so the next few months may be hectic as he attempts to restock his roster.
While Ciaran Brennan, Reece James, George Byers, Tyreeq Bakinson, Juan Delgado, and Lee Gregory were released at the conclusion of their contracts, loanees James Beadle, Kristian Pedersen, Jeff Hendrick, Momo Diaby, Ian Poveda, Ike Ugbo, and Ashley Fletcher returned to their parent clubs.
Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan have pledged their future to the club, but Will Vaulks has left for Oxford United despite being handed a new contract, and Cameron Dawson is expected to follow him out the door.
Although Rohl, 35, has demonstrated that he is willing to give young players an opportunity, we looked at three youngsters who may be the next to break through for the Owls and end up saving the team a ton of money on transfer costs down the road.
Charles Pierce
Since Keiren Westwood left, Wednesday has struggled at goalkeeper, with a number of players filling in for him recently. However, Pierce Charles may be the team’s long-term answer.
Charles debuted for the Owls in the FA Cup, starting in the 1-1 draw against Coventry City in January and again in the replay the following month. He looked fine in both games.
The 18-year-old’s recent call-up to the senior team for Northern Ireland demonstrated his enormous potential, and the Owls were thrilled to sign him to a new deal last month.
“Pierce is a fantastic goalkeeper, in my opinion,” Rohl told The Star in April, revealing that he is a huge fan of Charles. He can hold the ball in possession, is effective in open play, and is a good builder from the back, among many other positive traits. I think he’s a good goalie.”
Charles may have an opportunity now that Dawson is expected to leave, but Wednesday plans to bring James Beadle back from Brighton & Hove Albion following his productive loan there last year, and they are also close to bringing in former Watford goalkeeper Ben Hamer, so Charles may end up as the backup goalie again next season.
Charles will undoubtedly be the Owls’ starting quarterback at some time, and he may have a bright career ahead of him both at the club and international levels, even though he may be frustrated not to be given a shot the next season.
Joey Phuthi
Joey Phuthi’s option to remain at Hillsborough for at least another year has been triggered by Wednesday, and the winger may have a successful season ahead of him.
In December, Phuthi made his Owls debut as a late replacement in the team’s 2-0 loss against Coventry. In February, he made his FA Cup replay debut against the same opponents, coming off the bench.
In the second part of the season, the 19-year-old was often named in the matchday squad. If he keeps up his strong work at the academy, it won’t be long until he gets more chances to play for the first team.
“I’m targeting to be back with the first team in pre-season, and both Steve (Haslam) and Andy have said that I need to start really trying to impact the seniors,” Phuthi stated in April, making it apparent that he plans to battle for his spot next season. We make jokes about my work when I’m not in possession, but I’ll be working hard on it during the summer in the hopes that it will become less of a problem and I can start to have an impact on the first team.”
Phuthi’s playing time may be limited the next season since Rohl is eager to bolster the wide areas this summer. Nevertheless, because of his quickness and inventiveness, Phuthi is a dangerous player and may be a valuable addition to the team without having to pay for a squad player.
Bailey Cadamarteri was finally given the chance to play in the first team this season, as Wednesday supporters have long demanded.
Although Cadamarteri was a prolific goal scorer in the Wednesday academy, few could have anticipated the effect he would have at the senior level. At the beginning of December, the 19-year-old scored three goals in four games.
The striker’s playing time was somewhat limited in the second part of the season, but he finished with 25 appearances across all competitions, five goals, and one assist—a respectable result for his first year of senior football.
Hiring forwards will be Wednesday’s first priority this summer due to their goal-scoring deficiencies this season; it is unclear if Rohl will choose to loan out Cadamarteri.
Cadamarteri’s physicality and all-around game might be greatly enhanced by a brief stint away from Hillsborough, but whether or not he is permitted to leave will depend on the Owls’ transfer activity.
Strikers are notorious for being the hardest to come by and frequently the most expensive, so if Cadamarteri can advance, Wednesday may have a gem on their hands. If he can save the team millions in transfer fees, he could also turn a sizable profit for them down the road.
