Michael Ihiekwe reflects on spell at 'big club' Sheffield Wednesday after Owls exit

The centre back, who was unveiled by Blackpool on Wednesday ahead of a move on July 1st when his Owls contract comes to a close, became a popular figure during his time at Hillsborough, and played his part in both their League One promotion and Championship great escape.

Now, after three years at S6, he will move closer to home with the Tangerines, and could prove to be an excellent signing in League One as Steve Bruce looks to get his side climbing up the table next season.

Speaking in his first interview at the club, he reflected on his time in blue and white, making mention of the Wednesday fanbase and the pressure that comes with playing for such a ‘big club’.

“There was a lot of pressure”

In part, ‘Icky’ said, “I was at Rotherham for four or five years, managed to get three promotions there. I had a great time and they were a brilliant group of lads, and then I moved to Sheffield Wednesday. They were in League One - a big club in League One - and there was a lot of pressure to get the team promoted.

“We managed to do that in the first season, at Wembley, which was a great experience for me with the fanbase and that’s there. We went into the Championship with Wednesday, had a difficult year in the first season but managed to stay up on the last day.

“Last season was a bit more secure in the Championship, finished midtable and I managed to play quite a bit - so yeah, that’s my career to date.”

Ihiekwe played 82 times for the Owls during his spell, fighting his way back into the side on numerous occasions after being left out for various reasons.

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