‘He’d had enough’ – Sheffield Wednesday boss reveals contract rejection and the progress since then

Moore took over a bit of a sinking ship when he replaced Tony Pulis in March 2021, with a points deduction and unpaid wages situation lingering over the club in the midst of what was to be a relegation season for the club.

Since then the Owls have gone from strength to strength both on and off the pitch, and while they didn’t do enough for promotion last season they are now in a strong position to correct that in 2022/23.

A number of players went on to leave after relegation, many of whom were offered deals to try and fight back into the Championship, but the Owls boss says that they were in a situation where people actively wanted to leave.

Now, with the likes of Lee Gregory and Barry Bannan speaking of their own futures at the club recently, Moore says he’s pleased that they’re now in a situation where people aren’t looking to get out.

Speaking after Gregory voiced his desire to extend his deal, he explained, “When I first came to this football club there were players wanting to leave… When I arrived there was a player that I offered a contract to stay, and he blatantly said that he’d had enough, and that he wanted to leave. That was when I arrived.

“Last season and this season you’re seeing people wanting to stay, and extend their contracts.

“Some of the players here you would think that they should be aspiring to play at levels above, but the mere fact that they want to stay here means a couple of things… It means that the environment is right, the culture is right and it means that that they’re ticking boxes in terms of what they need from football.”

Wednesday have a whole host of players out of contract in the summer, and Moore will be hoping that by the time the bulk of the negotiations come around they are still in a position where promotion feels like a very real possibility.

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