Inside the mind of Joey Pelupessy: “I think I can show more for Sheffield Wednesday”

The 27-year-old Dutchman has played under Luhukay, Steve Bruce and Lee Bullen prior to working with Monk this season, and he admits that he feels ‘the best is yet to come’ from him in South Yorkshire.

Speaking in a Zoom meeting with local media today, the former Heracles captain spoke of his role in the team, his ambitions to prove himself and his hopes going forward after the club opted to exercise the one-year option in his contract this week.

“I’m a player who feels like I’m responsible for the team if I’m playing,” he told The Star. “I want to help everybody a lot, and I give my best to help the team. I consider that one of my qualities as well. The manager knows that, and I think that in my position it’s something that’s really important, to help the team and keep them close. He expects that from me, that’s clear.

“Even if you’re not a captain, you need to help the team as much as you can, and we spoke a little bit about that kind of thing. We spoke about that before, not just because of the extension.”

Pelupessy isn’t the first Dutchman to pull on the blue and white shirt, following in the footsteps of players such as Regi Blinker, Wim Jonk and Gerald Sibon, and he says that, while it would be tough for him to reach their level, he certainly wants to give it a go.

The midfielder said, “In every club you’re playing you try that (to be remembered), and if that happens then it’s a really positive thing. I don’t want to compare myself with those kinds of names because they’re big names in Holland, so I have a lot of respect for them, but what I can control is work hard, and focus every day to play as well as I can. That’s what I’m trying to do, but to be in that list would not be easy.”

And with that in mind, he wants to improve. News of his new deal was not universally popular amongst the fanbase, but he’s focused on doing the best that he can do to do what players like Morgan Fox have done by turning that around.

He added, “I think I can show more. The last months I was playing more games, but it was not a good period – not myself and not from the team. We lost a lot of games. In-between I think I played a few alright games like against Brighton, but you can never be satisfied if you lose a lot. That’s a feeling that I still have at the moment. The feeling is not good if I see the last months.”

“In the last two and a half years, in the beginning I had to get used to the level in the Championship because it was different. The game was quicker, I needed to be quicker on the ball, so it was hard for me to get used to, but after my first half year I had a feeling that I was getting used to it.

“It was a period that I played a lot, and then the manager was sacked. After that I didn’t play much, then Steve Bruce came and I found myself back in the first XI, so that was a good period for me. Being back in there with Steve Bruce gave me a lot of confidence, because he was a good manager, I had a lot of respect for him, and he said to me that if I worked hard and showed that I was ready, then he’d play me. And he did. I was disappointed when he left, because I was thinking that I was on a good way.

“Mr. Bullen took over, and I was not in the squad, so that was hard. Now with Garry Monk, I’m getting a chance again and that feels good. With all of the managers I’ve had different periods, so my feelings are mixed, but let’s say the best is yet to come. I’m not saying that I think I didn’t show anything, but it’s mixed feelings.”

And something that could be key to a turnaround, he feels, could be some consistency at the top. After seeing Luhukay and Bruce exit during his time in S6, Pelupessy is hoping that Monk can stick around for a longer period.

He said, “I hope that, for sure. I think for the club it’s really important. I think if you have a manager for a longer period, then it means that the club is in balance. I think if you change managers a lot, then I don’t think it’s a good signal and always something is happening.

“Most of the times managers leave when it’s not going well, so I think if we can have a longer period with Mr. Monk then I think that will be for everybody.”

Pelupessy has played over 70 games for Wednesday so far – more than Blinker and Jonk, but some way off Sibon – and will be hoping to add to that as the 2019/20 season finally comes to an end.

More Wednesday reading:

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Thank you, Joe.