Josh Windass contract explained after Danny Röhl admission on his Sheffield Wednesday future
Josh Windass is one goal away from becoming the club’s highest scorer this century - and could leave the club at the end of the season, Danny Röhl has confirmed.
The 31-year-old attacker has made 180 appearances for the Owls and alongside 23 assists has scored 52 times - a tally that puts him alongside Marcus Tudgay in the Wednesday scoring records since the turn of the century. His goal against Middlesbrough on Monday was his 12th of the season and furthered the current campaign as his best at Championship level.
Windass signed a new contract to stay on at Hillsborough in the summer, a deal that The Star revealed to have secured him to the club for this season with the club option of a further year. Though the details are unknown, further extension clauses are understood to have been included. In a February press conference the former Rangers man claimed preliminary discussions over a possible new deal had taken place in November but had been put on pause - and that the summer extension clause was not as simple as had been suspected.
Heading into the Owls’ final home game of the season, focus has turned to which players could be set to wave goodbye to their time at S6 and posting on social media, Windass’ footballer father Dean appeared to confirm he was set to leave the club. As has been a broad policy at Wednesday, discussions over new deals will largely take place once the season has finished and the situation paints an uncertain picture over the future of the 2023 Wembley hero.
“The situation is that there is not a final decision to now,” Röhl told The Star when asked about Windass’ future. “I think it should also be a decision made after the season, to sit together around the table after the season and look together at what is possible, what is not possible, what it means for both sides. It is always important that you have both sides in the same direction, I think it makes no sense when one side is no and the other side wants or pushes something in one direction. This is also crucial.
“Josh did a fantastic job since I arrived here, he scored a lot of goals, he understands my football, a lot of positive things. We and he developed a direction himself to put himself in a situation where he can play a lot of minutes and minutes. This season was nearly without an injury and this is a fantastic season so far.”
Windass is among a number of senior Wednesday players approaching the end of their current deals.