Michael Smith makes Sheffield Wednesday admission – comments on Owls strike force

The forward scored 24 goals in all competitions for Rotherham United in 2021/22 before joining Wednesday as a free agent over the summer, and there are high hopes for the big man as he looks to add to his League One tally in what Wednesdayites hope will be a promotion-chasing campaign.

Smith surprised a lot of people when he opted to leave the Millers for their South Yorkshire rivals, but he says that Owls boss, Darren Moore, played a big role in his decision to move across the county to Hillsborough.

Speaking to the media, ‘Smudge’ said, "It is all about staying fit and being available for the manager… He was one of the main reasons why I chose to come here.

"I spoke to lads that have played under him before. I have played against his Wednesday and Doncaster teams in the past – I know what he is all about and what his style of play is.

"He spoke to me before I signed about the amount of chances his teams create in a game. It is all about playing forward and scoring goals and it is something that was a massive pull for me.”

And despite his impressive goal haul with Rotherham last season, the 30-year-old isn’t resting on his laurels, and knows that the competition up front at Hillsborough will keep him on his toes.

He went on to say, "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could get better. I still think I can improve all aspects of my game.

"I want to be better at finishing and in the air. I want my decision-making on the ball to improve.

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"Competition is always a good thing. The aim will be to try and get the best out of each other… You have got players like Pato (Callum Paterson) who has played at the top level, Josh (Windass) who has played up in Scotland with Rangers and Greggers (Lee Gregory) has done it in the Championship.

"It is all going to be good competition to make each other better and I am looking forward to it.”

It’s a strong force, that’s for sure… But does Smith think the Owls can lay claim to having the best striking options in the league?

"I don't know what business other teams have been doing,” he admitted. “But it has definitely got to be up there. Hopefully we can push each other on and we can get a lot of goals.”

It remains to be seen whether Smith will be given the chance to make his competitive debut in blue and white this weekend when Wednesday take on Portsmouth in the opening game of the season, but he’ll certainly be keen to try and hit the ground running as soon as he is given the chance to shine.

Wednesday face Pompey at 3pm on Saturday afternoon as 2022/23 gets underway.

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