Sheffield Wednesday 'considered loan' for Man Utd hotshot who 'trained with Owls'

Wednesday enjoyed a partnership with Manchester United during Darren Moore's stint with the club, through which youngsters hoping to make their name with Premier League giants enjoyed the benefit of a 'Pro Experience' pilot pioneered by Old Trafford academy manager Nick Cox in late 2021.

The Owls were one of a handful of clubs to have worked with United in an agreement that saw academy players spend time training at EFL clubs to gain experience in a senior setting and benefit from the experience of time in the rough and tumble of a league football changing room set-up. Forest Green Rovers and AFC Wimbledon are also believed to have been utilised. The Owls partnership went further in that Wednesday have held at least two behind-closed-doors friendlies against United sides at their Carrington Training Centre in recent seasons.

Forwards Charlie McNeill and Dillon Hoogewerf are understood to have spent time training at Middlewood Road in late 2021; McNeill made his Red Devils bow in the Europa League and is currently on loan at League One Stevenage while Dutchman Hoogewerf has since been sold to Borussia Mönchengladbach.

And according to Windass midfield dynamo Kobbie Mainoo - an England youth international who has started United's last nine Premier League matches to huge praise - also spent time with the Owls. Mainoo's time with Wednesday was unknown until now.

Windass told Pitch Side: "He came to Sheffield Wednesday two seasons ago for like three weeks training to get experience training with men. He trained with us every day for like three weeks. He was serious. Man United sent him to us to get experience training with the first-team. He was good. We didn’t know who he was at first. We were laughing because we thought he was on trial. I was like: ‘He’s all right’. Normally you get trialists who are not very good.

"I was like: ‘He’s a decent little player, him’. He wasn’t there three weeks later and I was like: ‘Where’s that trialist gone?’ They [Utd] sent players to us. They didn’t come to learn, but they were getting smashed every day by League One players.

"He was training with us for about two or three weeks. He was good. I think they were thinking about doing a loan. I didn't even notice and then I saw him playing about two or three weeks ago and Barry Bannan text me to say he was the kid who was training with us."

The status of the 'Pro Experience' project is unknown, though relationships forged seem to have been carried forward, with both Forest Green and AFC Wimbledon have since taken on loan from Manchester United. Wednesday are yet to follow suit.