EXCLUSIVE: "They threw me under the bus..." Former Sheffield Wednesday favourite Chris Brunt looks back on his controversial Hillsborough exit

Speaking in his first in-depth interview since his retirement was confirmed, the now 36-year-old opened up on a run of events that saw former chief executive Kaven Walker release a statement on the club website that suggested the then youngster was holding the club to ransom over wages.

The Northern Irishman had only one year left on his contract at the club and having already seen the likes of Steve MacLean leave the club and with rumours circulating over Glenn Whelan, said he had notified Wednesday of his intention to move on citing what he felt was a frustrating lack of ambition at Hillsborough, and a personal ambition to play in the Premier League.

With the statement suggesting the winger would be staying put, a bidding war ended with him moving to West Brom for over £3m, a figure that remains one of the highest sales in the club’s history. Brunt became a club legend at the Hawthorns with 421 appearances including eight seasons in the Premier League.

“At the time it annoyed me,” he said looking back 14 years. “It felt like everything was against me, but I could see why the club were trying to do it, they were obviously throwing me under the bus a wee bit but they were trying to get as much money for me as they possibly could.

“At the end of the day, that’s their job, to do that for the football club.

“The thing is, they never came and told me that I was for sale or that they were driving the price up. That annoyed me at the time, but it’s water under the bridge.

“When you look back, Sheffield Wednesday got good money for somebody who had come for nothing and I was lucky enough to go on and play in the Premier League with West Brom. I don’t think anybody holds any grudges now.”

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Wednesday went on to finish three clear of relegation that season, with frustration over the MacLean sale sparking unrest inside and outside the club. The Baggies, on the other hand, were promoted as champions.

“In my opinion they [Wednesday] could have done better and I told Brian Laws that at the time,” Brunt said. “I wanted to play in the Premier League and I hoped to do that with Wednesday, but I felt off the back of that summer they would struggle.

“At the end of the day you have to take a chance to do the best for your career.”

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Brunt still keeps a close eye on Wednesday’s results and has backed his former colleague Darren Moore to turn things around at Hillsborough.

And he is grateful for the reception he would receive at Hillsborough on his more recent returns.

He said: “Wednesday fans gave me a bit of grief when I went back that first season, but it was only that one time.

“Everybody knew what was going on, they tried to throw me under the bus a little bit saying I was asking for too much money to stay.

“As you get a bit older you realise that’s football.”

Read more from former Sheffield Wednesday man Chris Brunt in the coming days at thestar.co.uk.

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