Why Sheffield Wednesday decided to cash in on Jordan Thorniley

The defender left the Hillsborough club on New Year's Day, joining the Seasiders for an undisclosed fee.

Thorniley was deemed surplus to requirements at Wednesday, having fallen behind Tom Lees, Dominic Iorfa, Julian Börner and David Bates in the pecking order for a centre-half spot. He only played once under Monk in their cup defeat to Everton last September.

Speaking after the Owls' dismal loss to Hull City, Monk told The Star: "In terms of that area, we have a lot competition and numbers.

"I think it (the deal) was good for both parties.

"Jordan has been fantastic. He has been a real pleasure to work with but he is at the stage where he needs to go and play regular first-team football. He wasn't going to get that here."

Thorniley made 35 appearances in all competitions for Wednesday after arriving from Everton in July 2016.

"Good luck to him," said Monk. "He is a really good kid and I'm sure he is going to do very well there.

"That area is really strong in terms of numbers and that is the reason why we let it happen."

Thorniley was not involved in Blackpool's 2-1 reversal at Rotherham United in their first fixture of 2020.

"It was tough to leave Sheffield Wednesday, as they've been good to me having offered me a deal after being released from my first club," admitted Thorniley.