‘Jumped the gun..’ Massimo Luongo explains cryptic social media post after Sheffield Wednesday exit
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The Australian international left the South Yorkshire club on a free transfer in the summer despite having been one of the Owls’ key men in their charge up the table in the second half of last season.
In the moments after his exit was confirmed by the club, Luongo posted a cryptic message on Instagram reading “Have I?”, in response to Wednesday’s suggestion he had rejected a deal to extend his time at S6.
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Hide AdThe post was hastily deleted but set tongues wagging as to the circumstances around his departure, which was confirmed the day after Wednesday signed Will Vaulks.
“I don't want to dwell too much into that because the club's a great club and they looked after me,” Luongo told The Yorkshire Post in his first media engagement as a Middlesbrough player.
“I wanted to give myself as much time as possible to make a decision and they didn't really want to wait – which was fair enough. They sort of jumped the gun a little bit before I could even make my decision.
“My priority was to get back into the Championship. Whether I would have changed my decision or not, I don't know, but all parties had their own agenda and they wanted to rush a little bit and I didn't.”
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Hide AdLuongo suggested he takes only good memories with him from a three-year spell at Wednesday and made clear he found the reality of leaving the club a difficult one to make.
“I lived in Sheffield so you're right amongst it,” he said.
“I haven't been into Middlesbrough apart from for games but it's the same feelings. On matchdays the crowd can turn really quickly – negatively or positively – so I'm used to it. I'm used to playing in front of big crowds, especially in home games.
“The toughest thing for me, no matter what league I was in, was leaving Sheffield Wednesday, the size of the club. I almost spoilt myself with Wednesday and I thought Middlesbrough was a good fit.”