Life-changing calls soon to be made on future of Sheffield Wednesday players as decision maker separates emotion

The club made an early statement on the released status of nine of their under-21 squad last time out, with Liam Waldock among those told they could seek trials with other clubs.

That announcement came in March and though it remains to be seen whether the club decide to take a similar path this time out, meetings regarding the futures of their youngsters are set to take place imminently.

“We’ll all get together to start discussing,” Wednesday under-21s boss Neil Thompson – a former caretaker manager of the Owls’ first team, told The Star.

“There might be early decisions on one or two, there might be decisions that are deferred for a little longer to see where we’re at.

“It’s a tough time for them it’s never easy but I’ve been there, I’ve been released. But then I’ve had contracts at the other end and there’s the joy in it. It’s part of being a footballer. You have to earn the right and every day is a chance to impress.”

Several years into a career of youth coaching with Wednesday, Thompson is matter-of-fact with regard to how conversations over the release of young players go.

But does he find the meetings with players difficult? Been-there-done-it Thompson simply gets on with the job in hand.

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“Not really,” he said. “Because it’s been done to me and I’ve done it for many years now. At the end of the day, it’s an honest decision and I don’t have any issues doing it whatsoever. It’s great giving good news out, it’s not so great giving bad news out. As long as you’re honest with people, that’s not an issue for me. It’s part of the role.

“Football is like that. Up and down the country it’s happening at every club, whether it is senior boys, 21s, 18s or 16s, decision time is decision time. You start with a big group of players at under-nines and it gets filtered down and down to the smallest group at the top.

“The cream rises and the challenge for everyone is to get to that top bit.”

The likes of Sean Fusire, Rio Shipston and Adam Alimi-Adetoro are three youngsters who have been offered the opportunity to train with the first team in recent weeks. All three are believed to have contracts running until the summer of 2025 and though there are vast improvements to be made, the trio can offer a source of inspiration for their young counterparts.

“They’re a long, long way from the finished article and they have a lot of work to do but the incentive for all the other boys is whether they can get there,” Thompson said on the trio.

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“It’s up to them to push someone else out of the way because it’s worth fighting for.

“Football with the young’uns is about handling those disappointments; not playing well, not being selected, being on the bench. It’s how you handle those disappointments and putting your front foot forward on the training pitch.

“The one thing above all that they can control is their attitude. There are obstacles in the way, it’s how they react to them.”