Get Kieran Lee back to Sheffield Wednesday... The least he deserves is a send-off - Joe Crann’s SWFC column after ex-Owl joins Bolton Wanderers

He came from Oldham, his touch was golden, but Kieran Lee will now be strutting his stuff in League Two – I just hope one day he gets the Sheffield Wednesday send-off he deserves.
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Lee made over 200 appearances for the Owls in almost a decade at Hillsborough, and played a role in almost 40 goals – whether scoring or assisting. I think it’s safe to say that – about midway through his Wednesday career – he was possibly the most underrated midfielder in the division.

It said a lot about the midfielder that, despite his injury problems and the prospect of being on the lookout for a new club, the 32-year-old still agreed to play on until the very end of last season though he knew the risks.

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You’d expected nothing less, really. Quiet, unassuming, and an absolute consummate professional, it is absolutely no surprise that the former Manchester United man became so universally loved at S6.

Trying to pick a favourite Lee moment is pretty tough, to be honest. The masterclass in the 6-0 win over Leeds United (seven years ago today as it happens), the 98th-minute winner against Rotherham United, the eruption after his goal against Brighton and Hove Albion in 2016. There are so many.

The only downside, really, is that injury robbed him of so many more moments in blue and white – especially towards the latter end of his time in Sheffield. He’ll still go down as a Wednesday great, it’s just a pity that his time at the club somewhat petered out in the midst of a pandemic.

On his day, he could be unplayable in the Championship. A true box-to-box midfielder who was as comfortable shutting down attacks as he was getting on the end of them, but a very classy footballer on top of it.

Kieran Lee has joined Bolton Wanderers after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.Kieran Lee has joined Bolton Wanderers after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
Kieran Lee has joined Bolton Wanderers after leaving Sheffield Wednesday.
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The 2015/16 season was probably the peak, for him. In 46 league games he averaged 3.4 successful tackles per game, but also averaged 1.1 key pass per match. Fernando Forestieri and Barry Bannan took most of the plaudits, but Wednesday would not have reached the brink of the Premier League without Lee. He was so incredibly vital to that side.

Now at Bolton Wanderers, Lee will get the opportunity to show another set of fans what he’s capable of, and I don’t think there will be a single Wednesdayite that doesn’t want to see him do well there.

My hope is that, whenever it’s possible, Wednesday invite him back to Hillsborough. That they offer him the chance to say goodbye to the fans that chanted his name, and for them to give him the send-off that he truly deserves.

COVID-19 meant that his Hillsborough goodbye was inside an empty stadium, in front of none of the fans to whom he gave so much joy, and that just doesn’t feel right. For him, and for the fans, I hope there can be one more rendition of ‘Kieran Lee, Kieran Lee, Kieran Lee’. It’s the right thing to do.

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