Reece James has heaped praise on the ‘amazing’ thing Sheffield Wednesday fans did for him.
Reece James joined Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Blackpool for the 2022-23 season.
After struggling to earn regular minutes with the Seasiders, the defender went onto make a much bigger impact at Hillsborough.
James made 24 starts as Wednesday made history as they dramatically reached the play-off final, with the full-back netting one of their five goals in the second leg victory over Peterborough United.
James then signed a permanent deal with the Owls, but quickly fell out of favour under Xisco Munoz and was unable to regain his place once Danny Rohl arrived.
James managed two starts under the German coach, before he was completely abandoned from the senior team and featured for only eight minutes in the final six months of the season.
It came as no surprise when James was released at the end of his contract, before quickly signing for neighbours Rotherham United following their relegation.
Despite only making 45 appearances for Wednesday, the 30-year-old formed a strong relationship with supporters and has now thanked them for one ‘amazing’ thing that they did.
Reece James is ‘really grateful’ for Sheffield Wednesday fans
Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, James said: “”I tried to play 100% and give everything I could every time I wore that shirt and you know, the fans took to me, which I’m really grateful for.
“I had a young daughter that was sort of brought up in Sheffield, so obviously I’ve got big ties to the city as well, which has been amazing for us as a family.
“Like I said, I can’t thank them enough for the support they gave me while I was there. I think it’s the first time at a club I’ve actually had a song, which has been amazing for me. Like I say, I can’t thank the fans enough.”
The defender should never have joined permanently
Reece James played a key role in Sheffield Wednesday‘s promotion, but the club’s decision to give him a permanent contract was really part of the reason why they looked set for relegation straight away.
The defender didn’t single-handedly plunge them in the bottom three, because he barely even played.
However, the Owls’ mindset that they should keep on the players that won promotion by the skin of their teeth could have cost them.
James wasn’t even a regular in League One and it was very clear he wasn’t ready to play in the Championship either, and in hindsight, the club should have just cut ties last summer.
It comes as no surprise that he has now returned to the third tier where he will likely flourish.
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