We asked a Cardiff City writer what Sheffield Wednesday fans should expect from transfer target Kadeem Harris

Sheffield Wednesday are growing ever-closer to securing the services of Cardiff City winger Kadeem Harris on a free transfer. We asked Wales Online football writer Ben James what Owls fans should expect from the 26-year-old.
Sheffield Wednesday target Kadeem Harris.Sheffield Wednesday target Kadeem Harris.
Sheffield Wednesday target Kadeem Harris.

- What style of play can Wednesday fans expect from Harris?

First and foremost, Harris will bring pace to the Owls attack. The 26-year-old is fleet-footed and direct - willing to take on defenders. He's stocky and surprisingly physical - with a similar build to another Cardiff winger, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing. Harris perhaps boasts a few more tricks up his sleeve compared to Mendez-Laing.

- What are his strengths and weaknesses?

As noted above, his ability and pace are undoubtedly his strengths. In terms of weakness, it may seem a little unfair to suggest being injury prone is a weak-point for Harris, but it is the reason perhaps why he has never truly kicked on in south Wales.

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- He signed for Cardiff having burst onto the scene as a teenager at Wycombe. How did he get on?

On the whole, Harris probably did disappoint during his time at Cardiff. After Aron Gunnarsson's departure was announced, Harris was the Bluebirds' longest-serving player along with Joe Ralls.

Yet for so long, Harris didn't seem to be a part of the plans at the Cardiff City Stadium. Injuries and a lack of minutes curtailed his progress and it is striking how many Cardiff fans reacted negatively to his departure.

Clearly the fans felt he was worth persevering with - especially as the Bluebirds drop back into the second tier.

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- The vast majority of his appearances for Cardiff were from the bench. Do you see him as a Championship starter?

Prior to last season, Neil Warnock had likely pegged Harris as a player who was unlikely to feature in the Premier League.

Five starts may not sound like much, but Harris was one of the Bluebirds' form players around the time they started to put some points on the board after a fruitless start to the season. He didn't quite build on that breakthrough, but it's an indication of what he is capable of.

And let's not forget that when Warnock first came into the club, Harris was a regular starter before injuries struck.

- Why didn't it quite work out for Harris at Cardiff?

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For all the talk of his potential, this summer marked a point when Cardiff felt it was time to cut ties with Harris. After all, a 26-year-old shouldn't realistically be talked about in terms of potential.

Injuries didn't help his cause - with the winger missing the majority of Cardiff's promotion-winning season, playing just one match. However, even when he was fit, he never seemed to get a run of games in the side. He probably didn't get a fair crack at proving himself, but Cardiff couldn't exactly wait forever.

- What does he need to do to fulfil his potential?

Regular minutes would be the most obvious way Harris can fulfil his potential.

If he gets time on the pitch and plenty of it, there's no reason why he can't kick on and become a useful Championship player as he was under Russell Slade and briefly under Warnock at Cardiff.

- How do you expect him to get on at Wednesday?

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The reaction of Cardiff fans to Harris' departure suggests they're worried about someone else finally reaping the rewards of a talented player who never quite shone as he should have. While I don't think releasing him will come back to haunt the Bluebirds, regular action and a bit of luck that has so far eluded him could see him be a successful acquisition for Steve Bruce.