Decisions to be made over Jarvis Thornton's Sheffield Wednesday future
Sheffield Wednesday are weighing up the immediate futures of a handful of players.
Midfielder Jarvis Thornton is among the youngsters Sheffield Wednesday are considering allowing out on loan in the coming weeks, boss Henrik Pedersen has suggested to The Star.
The 20-year-old South Yorkshireman came into reckoning in a desperately difficult season last time out, making 23 Championship appearances as one of a number young players handed more opportunity following enforced cuts to the playing squad.
Thornton has featured in five of Wednesday’s 10 matches so far this season and most recently played the entirety of Tuesday’s evening’s EFL Trophy win at Salford City, but has naturally found his playing opportunities more limited after squad improvements saw the likes of Barry Bannan, Billy Mitchell, Callum Slattery and Jaden Heskey arrive to raise their midfield options.
Several young Wednesday players who did feature last season have headed out on experience-building loans in recent months, with a switch out possible despite the closure of the transfer window should they do so to a non-league club.
“We spoke with Jarvis,” Pedersen said. “Jarvis had a great, great development. This year, we have got some strong central midfield. We have to increase the level.
“Jarvis went here, played here, done it well. But we also spoke with Jarvis about the possibility for a loan to get some game practise. And this is what we consider right now. We are considering still, but at his age he has to play football. But we have some good conversations with Jarvis and then we'll make a good plan for him.”
Speaking to The Star recently, Owls sporting director explained the importance of the flexibility available to Wednesday when it comes to these short-term loans to non-league clubs.
“I think it's really important that young players go and get senior football this period,” Wilson said. “Non-league is actually a fantastic place to loan to because it's a good level of football, certainly in the National League and some of the National League North. It's strong teams, good crowds. We're so unique in this country that you get multiple thousands of people watching games in the fifth and sixth tier. It's pressure. It's men's football. But also you can be flexible with loan situations.
“We can do short-term loans. We can get them back if we need to get them back into our team, which is brilliant because that's what we all want. Or if they need to move to different clubs because that loan isn’t working or there's an opportunity to progress them up the levels, we've got all that. That's 100% part of our plan and probably where my focus goes now.”