Darren Moore offers health update as 'the work starts now' at Sheffield Wednesday

Manager Darren Moore told reporters after the death-knell draw at Derby that he had meetings scheduled with all of the soon-to-be out-of-contract players at the club over their futures.

The asthmatic 47-year-old stood in the dugout for the first time in five matches in that clash after he was hospitalised with pneumonia having contracted coronavirus at the start of April but offered a positive update on how he was feeling heading into what looks set to be a busy summer at S6.

Asked how his health was he said: “I’m fine. I got given the medical consent to get back involved and into the dugout.

“I wanted to be in the dugout with them and I was grateful to be back. It’s good to be back. The work starts now.”

The club’s first team ‘retained list’ is expected within the next week, with the futures of a raft of players still unknown.

Moore confirmed he had formulated big plans but stopped short of indicating how many players supporters could expect to see through the exit door.

In a statement released by Owls owner Dejphon Chansiri in the hours after relegation was confirmed, he removed any lingering doubt over Moore’s future and suggested the club would be moving into a new era.

“The biggest thing now is to get into a position medically to move the club forward,” Moore said. “I’m so grateful for that, to be able to get back to work.

“I feel good, strong again. All I can say to you is that my body felt like it was poisoned before.

“But now when I get up in a morning I feel more like I should be, really. That’s a big thing for me going forward.

“I’d had a load of tests on Wednesday and felt a lot better.

“I got here and they asked me whether I wanted to go upstairs. I said ‘No! I want to get down there.’ That was only decided when we arrived.”

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