Chey Dunkley grows frustrated at payment issue queries as Sheffield Wednesday prepare for Coventry City clash

The 28-year-old, who is just two matches into his Owls career having successfully returned from 10 months on the sidelines with a broken leg, was speaking ahead of this weekend’s clash with Coventry City.

Dunkley answered queries on the problems that have seen Wednesday players paid only part of their November wage. He is the first Owls player to face the media since the reports were confirmed.

“That’s confidential in terms of the payments, but it’s got out there,” he said. “For me, the lads have reacted well to the information getting out and it’s up to us to concentrate on winning a football match.

“It’s a distraction, I’ll be honest with you, but people have distractions in life. It could be anything, your dog might pass away, but you’ve got to be on the job.

“I’m a football player and my main aim is to go out on the pitch, do my job first and foremost and win football games.

“I’ve got to focus on that. I can’t be speaking about the financial side of it. There are lots of things that can affect a footballer, not just money.”

Earlier in the day Owls boss Tony Pulis revealed that the players found their wages were short ahead of defeat at Norwich, the first of four defeats on the spin that have seen his side fall to the bottom of the Championship table.

Dunkley declined to make an excuse of the issues and denied there was a palpable anger amongst the players.

“I’m trying to get individual performances out of myself. Everything else, I’m assuming it will take care of itself, whether that’s next week or two weeks or a month.

“If people are angry, I haven’t seen it in terms of on the field or the training ground because people are being professional about it.

“Away from home, I don’t live with the other lads, we all live in different houses. So I don’t know if people are angry, I don’t know people’s personal issues, I don’t know.

“At the training ground there is a focus and we know what we need to do. We haven’t done it and the disappointment in the camp is there. If we were winning games, the place would be buzzing regardless of any issues.”

The new Wednesday man made clear his desire to draw a line under the issue in an otherwise positive press conference, saying he had answered enough questions on the issue and that his focus was on tackling the challenge of Coventry.

“I just want to win a football game,” he said. “The lads want to win a football game. I don’t want to speak anymore about payments because it’s just a distraction, honestly.

“Any more questions about that, I won’t be here much longer. If you’re talking about how we can improve, what can we do, no problem, I’m here for it.

“But I’ve come here and all we’re talking about is money, money, money. I just want to win a football game.”

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