The Owls’ new manager was in-demand after leaving Stockport County in the summer

Dave Challinor had other opportunities to get back into football management before taking over at Sheffield Wednesday.

Challinor, 51, has been taking his first training sessions this week after officially being appointed on Monday, penning a three-and-a-half year deal. His first game will be on Sunday in the FA Cup first round against League Two Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park.

Given his impressive CV which includes seven promotions, the former Tranmere Rovers captain was a man in-demand after leaving Stockport County in the summer, with his name linked with Bradford City at one stage.

“Without going into too much detail, obviously people wanted to have conversations,” he told The Star. “I was in the fortunate position where I didn't need to jump back in. I came out of a really good football club, and we had success, so I had the luxury of being able to be a little bit selective and wait. How long you can wait obviously depends on many things, but when this opportunity came up, it was again a brilliant one, and thankfully, the people, some in the room and some obviously away, in terms of the owners, I was the take the club forward, which really good for me for them to trust me to represent them in what they see and what they want for the team that they've got a huge emotional attachment with already.”

Challinor’s track record would also no doubt have caught the eye of Championship clubs and that is where he saw his next challenge or at a big club that could get to that level, which is why Wednesday was a good fit for him.

“My natural progression would have been to try and get a Championship opportunity,” he added. “That made the number of clubs I am appealing to was probably pretty small. The next opportunity either needed to give me that chance, or be one I could grow with. I certainly couldn't have picked a bigger one in terms of this club and the amount of growth it's got in it. It's to do with history, fanbase, the size of the stadium and all those things. We have to make it a huge advantage for us. But on the pitch, that's where we are. We have to understand that and put things in place that allow us to move forward and be that club in the long term.”