Two Owls youngsters have signed extended contracts this week

There weren’t many positives from last season, but Jarvis Thornton was one of them.

The 20-year-old took advantage of a desperate situation to make 27 appearances in total, including 23 in the Championship. Had it not been for Wednesday’s financial troubles, his path to the first-team may have taken longer, but he saw an opportunity and he took it. Sometimes it is about timing. Playing in the Championship, he says, has made him ‘ten-times a better player’, matured him as person on and off the pitch, and now he can’t wait to kick-on again.

The central midfielder, who had been in the academy since he was eight, made his senior debut in the Carabao Cup first round against Bolton Wanderers last August. A young Owls side led three times, eventually drawing 3-3, before winning on penalties. It was one of few highlights in a dark season. Fast-forward a year and Thornton has just signed a new two-year contract in the week The Owls face Bolton again in the same competition. Back then, not many knew too much about him. But now fans know he is a tidy, workhorse midfielder. He is unlikely to smash one in from 30 yards or open up an opposition defence with a cutting pass, but he can be trusted to keep the ball, work hard, make a tackle and put a shift in.

placeholder image — Joe Emery. | Getty Images

Fellow academy prospect, Joe Emery, 19, has joined Thornton is extending his stay at Wednesday, signing a new one-year deal, with the club holding a further option. Like Thornton, the defender made his senior debut in the same match against Bolton last August. Although he didn’t get as many minutes as Thornton last term, he still gained valuable experience from seven first-team appearances, including against Brentford in the FA Cup and making his Championship debut against Bristol City. The centre-back has been a steady head in pre-season runouts against Hallam and Accrington Stanley.

Tieing down the two youngsters to extended deals shows Wednesday are forward-thinking and have more than one eye on the future now, which has not always been the case in the last 10 years and more. The Owls are trying to strike the balance between the ‘here and now’ and having future on-field assets. They are going about it the right way so far.