Sheffield Wednesday boss Darren Moore delivers honest response to Jack Hunt contract request

Right-back Jack Hunt, who re-joined the Hillsborough club in the summer, has an extension clause for another year that he revealed will trigger only if Wednesday are promoted.

In an ideal world, he said last week, he would have entered into talks already. The likes of Massimo Luongo, Sam Hutchinson and Chey Dunkley are also out of contract at the end of the season and their future – as things stand - remain unclear.

Owls chairman Dejphon Chansiri has already said that all focus will sit solely with the team’s goal of promotion to the Championship and that any contract talks are on ice.

It’s a stance that Darren Moore reiterated in conversation with The Star.

“We’re in some good form at the moment and we want to continue that and keep the focus on,” he said when asked about Hunt’s honest assessment of the situation. “Contract talks will take care of itself.

“I’m a firm believer that if players continue to show their quality and their consistency and their tenacity in terms of that clear focus, then contracts do take care of themselves.

“When Jack is saying that [he wants a new contract], then we take that as a real compliment.”

Last year Wednesday were proactive in nailing down the futures of key men Barry Bannan, Josh Windass, Dominic Iorfa and Liam Palmer. Including Hunt and co, seven senior figures will see their contracts end this summer, with seven loanees set to head back to their parent club.

Moore’s message seemed to be that he wants to keep his players hungry and focused heading into the back end of the season, in which they have given themselves an excellent chance of playoff qualification.

“I’ve spoken before about that shift in change in cultural pattern at the club,” Moore said. “It’s really important, that stability, but I’m not happy with it because there is so much more we want to bring to this football club.

“I’m working ever so hard to stay consistent and achieve the aim of getting into the top six. Once we get there, we drive again and go from there.

“That’s the desire and determination we have at this football club. We have to have that desire and tenacity.”

Hunt has played 32 matches across all competitions for Wednesday this season and has been in great form in an important position at right wing-back.

Moore continued: “I think it’s a compliment for us at Sheffield Wednesday that somebody of Jack Hunt’s ilk and ability wants to have his career at the football club.

“It tells me we’re doing something right, that a player wants to commit the rest of his career here.

“It’s not just Jack Hunt in that space, there are many other players in that space and I’m happy to hear that. They’re good players at the forefront of their game.

“He knows his way around the block, he’s been at numerous clubs throughout his career and he sees this football club as one he wants to end his career with. That can only be a good thing."