Darren Moore on Nathaniel Mendez-Laing's Sheffield Wednesday contract

The Owls boss, who signed the former Cardiff City man on a free transfer in November after an extended trial period at Middlewood Road, was speaking ahead of their trip to Oxford United in response to a report in The Star.

Multiple sources close to the club had indicated that Mendez-Laing’s deal with Wednesday was due to end this weekend but that it had been extended.

But Moore denied the report and expressed confusion at how it had come about.

“His contract has always been sorted since he came here,” he said. “I don’t know where that rumour has come from.

“All I can say to Sheffield Wednesday supporters is that it’s a situation that has always been sorted from day one. I don’t know where that rumour has come from. We move on because it’s always been sorted.”

Mendez-Laing earned plaudits for his goal-and-assist effort in the Owls’ win over Plymouth Argyle on Saturday, his fourth appearance for the club.

Pushed further on the terms of the winger’s deal, Moore reiterated to The Star that the agreement with Mendez-Laing had ‘always been sorted’.

“It’s always been sorted since he’s been here,” Moore said. “It’s always been sorted since he’s taken the field, it’s always been sorted since he’s been training and when I had him in here behind the scenes getting him fit and back up to a level.

“In terms of the contract, it was all done then. I’m pleased to say that today. I don’t know where all the speculation has come from. I’m pleased that he’s here, we carry on as normal and we continue building on that performance.

“We just carry on as normal, we train as normal and we prepare as normal. I don’t quite no where that has surfaced. I think it has surfaced because everybody was hoping that he’d be here. I can say he’ll be here and there’s no problem.”

Mendez-Laing will likely be in tomorrow’s squad at the Kassam Stadium as Wednesday continue in their mission to climb back into the League One playoff places.