Foot on the Gass – Sheffield Wednesday boss heaps praise on pacy young attacker

Djeidi Gassama hasn’t had too much game time in England since swapping Paris for Sheffield, but the former Paris Saint-Germain attacker was handed a start at Ashton Gate after Josh Windass picked up a late knock that ruled him out.

And the 20-year-old got the away crowd on their feet on a number of occasions as he used his speed and strength to cause problems for the Robins, however was sacrificed at the break as the Owls reshuffled the pack following Barry Bannan’s red card.

He may have taken him off, but Röhl was really pleased with the Mauritanian’s outing – saying that his work in training was what got him the nod over more experienced players.

Speaking to The Star he said, “I think with Gass it was his first start in the XI, and he has so much potential. He has to improve with his load so he can do it for 90 minutes, but that’s a normal process if you don’t play much in the past. But he has a weapon, he’s good one against one, and he’s also quick to make good movements between the lines and in the pockets. I’m happy with him.

“He had a big opportunity in the first half with the transition, and we spoke before about ball positions. We spoke to the young players about coming in and showing what they can do, and he’s doing so step by step. He was fantastic in training, and that’s the reason why we took him.

“It’s not just about defending, we want to attack and play forward. And this is the reason why I put him in.”