League One striker once rated at £1m in shock release bombshell as Sheffield Wednesday mull over options

Cole Stockton scored 23 goals for lowly Morecambe last season, attracting reported interest from the likes of Rotherham United, Portsmouth, Fleetwood Town, Burton Albion and Lincoln City. It is not believed he ever emerged as a Sheffield Wednesday target.

It was reported that during perceived interest from the Millers last season - which was denied in the local media - it would have taken a fee of somewhere towards £1m to prise him from the Shrimpers.

Merseyside-born Stockton, 29, failed to live up to his goal-laden 2021/22 season, in which he scored 26 times across all competitions, for much of the current campaign. But he came strong latterly, bagging seven in their last four matches as Morecambe were relegated.

Their released list includes the likes of well rated goalkeeper Connor Ripley - son of one-time Wednesday loanee Stuart - and former Premier League pair Oumar Niasse and Pape Souare. Former Owls youngster Liam Shaw heads back to Celtic after his loan spell finished.

It is the first official retained list to have been published among League One clubs and signals a nudge forward towards the summer - though the season is really only just beginning for an Owls side that are now looking ahead to the play-off semi-finals and Peterborough United.

Moore spoke last week to open up on the fact that the club were well on with their recruitment plans for the next few months and admitted the club has two transfer playbooks - one for the Championship and one for League One.