How Sheffield Wednesday beat off Championship interest to sign new man Harlee Dean

The Birmingham City club captain, whose loan switch was confirmed by the club on Wednesday afternoon, will be an Owls player until the end of the season and joins a stuttering battle to climb into the playoff places.

“I got a call off the gaffer and he explained what he wanted, where the club was trying to get to and what he needed,” Dean said in conversation with swfc.co.uk. “It just seemed like a perfect fit.

“Him being a centre-half, a very good one as well, it’s a challenge I’m really looking forward to and I can’t wait to get going again.”

Dean’s attributes and leadership qualities should fit in well with what is required by a Wednesday team who have shipped too many goals of late.

He was of huge interest to Wednesday back in 2017, but signed for Birmingham.

On how this week’s deal came about and moreso how quickly it was done, the 30-year-old former Brentford man said: “The interest first came early this week. We’re only on Wednesday now, so that’s how quick it gone done.

“There were other options, Championship options and things like that, but nothing that whet my appetite to go and fight for something.

“It’s a huge club, always has been and always will be and I have a lot of memories of playing here. It’s a club that should be in the Championship as a minimum and that’s what the manager wants to do.

“We’ve got a great squad, I know a lot of the lads from playing against them and being around football for a long time. I’m really looking forward to helping them try to achieve something.

“It’s a huge club and like Birmingham, there are two teams in that city, there are two teams in this city. There are a lot of similarities.

“The fans are unbelievable at Birmingham, the fans are unbelievable here. I’ve been told by my agent, people here and the manager it’s a real ‘eat, sleep football community’.”