How two former Sheffield Wednesday figures helped secure transfer from the Owls

It was recently confirmed that the big centre back would be joining the Tangerines once his Owls contract expires at the end of the month, and he’s explained that ex-Wednesday manager, Steve Bruce, and the club’s old Head of Recruitment and Analysis, David Downes, were pivotal to his decision.

The pair are now the manager and sporting director at Blackpool, and ‘Icky’ admits that he jumped at the chance to work with a manager like Bruce, despite other offers that came in from elsewhere.

“You’d be silly not to listen to other clubs and their pitches,” the told the Blackpool Gazette. “But as soon as I met Steve Bruce it was a big thing for me to work with someone like that... He told me about the club, its ambitions, and what the plans are. Straightaway - that was top of my list. He was a big difference maker.

Michael Ihiekwe had Wednesday connections at Blackpool

“I’ve had in the past where managers are calling you all of the time and applying pressure; obviously you’ve got to do that to a certain degree, but he had a really nice balance of giving me time and letting me make my own decision.

“I was in contact with Downesy (David Downes) first, he was a big part of it. He’s a brilliant guy. He brought me in at Wednesday, so I had plenty of conversations with him before I signed here. Knowing him from before, I had that trust in him.”

Ihiekwe was one of seven players released by the Owls in their retained list at the end of the season, with the others being Stuart Armstrong, Ben Hamer, Ryo Hatsuse, Marvin Johnson, Pol Valentin and Mallik Wilks. Valentin is the only one with a new deal elsewhere so far, signing on at Preston North End.

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