Sheffield Wednesday are, against the odds, playing in the Championship next season, where they’ll face a lot of former players.
Sheffield Wednesday finished the 2023/24 campaign in 20th place of the table. But after their shocking start to the campaign under Xisco Munoz, it felt like the Owls had won a cup final.
Danny Rohl looks set to lead the club into the new season and it’ll be another fiercely competed Championship roster with Sheffield United and Burnley joining the league, along with one of Luton Town or Nottingham Forest.
Then there’s Portsmouth and Derby County coming up from League One, as well as one of Bolton Wanderers or Oxford United who play in the League One play-off final this weekend.
Here are the X former Sheffield Wednesday players who could be going up against the Owls in the Championship next season…
Ross Barkley
One-time Sheffield Wednesday loan man Ross Barkley may well be heading to S6 with Luton Town next season.
The Hatters are all but relegated from the Premier League; they’re three points behind Nottingham Forest but have a 12-goal difference to make up.
Barkley has been a standout performer for Rob Edwards’ side this season scoring five goals and grabbing four assists, though he sees his contract expire this summer.
Expect Luton to want a renewal but expect other clubs to take a look at the now 30-year-old. If he stays at Kenilworth Road, Wednesday fans may see him go up against their team next year.
Barkley scored four in 13 Championship outings for Wednesday on loan from Everton in the 2012/13 season.
Joe Bennett
Defender Joe Bennett is another one-time Sheffield Wednesday loan man, spending time with the club during the 2015/16 from Aston Villa.
Now at Oxford United, the 34-year-old left-back is pushing for promotion to the Championship with the U’s who face Bolton Wanderers at Wembley on Saturday afternoon.
He featured three times in the Championship for Wednesday, having made 18 total League One appearances for Oxford since joining from Wigan Athletic last summer.
Jordan Thorniley
Former Everton youth man Jordan Thorniley got his breakthrough with Sheffield Wednesday, joining the Owls in 2016 and staying until 2020.
But the defender managed just 33 total appearances for Wednesday before heading for Blackpool in a permanent deal, and now he too finds himself at Oxford United where he’s pushing hard for promotion to the Championship.
Joe Wildsmith
Goalkeeper Joe Wildsmith has enjoyed the form of his life since leaving Hillsborough in 2022, picking up the League One Golden Glove award with Derby County this season.
He kept 20 clean sheets to help the Rams to finish in 2nd place of the League One table, but there’s now uncertainty surrounding his future.
He’s out of contract this summer. But given his impressive performance in 2023/24, it sees probable that he’ll be returning to Wednesday as a Derby County player next season.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing
Very similar to Wildsmith, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing has found form with Derby County since leaving S6 in 2022.
His nine goals and 15 assists in 46 League One outings for the Rams this season saw him nominated for the League One Player of the Year award, also landing him an extended contract at Pride Park.
He could yet cause Rohl’s Sheffield Wednesday a lot of problems in the Championship next season.
During his one season at Wednesday, Mendez-Laing scored twice and assisted twice in 19 League One outings.
The post Ross Barkley & more: 5 former players Sheffield Wednesday could now face in the Championship next season appeared first on Sheffield Wednesday News.