New recruitment ideas at Sheffield Wednesday as 'experienced' figure lays out plan
The departure of Steve Haslam as Sheffield Wednesday academy chief after a long-held involvement at Middlewood Road brought Jonathan Pepper to the club - and with him he has brought new ideas, it seems.
The former Burnley man, who also worked at Lincoln City and Bradford City, was confirmed as Haslam’s replacement in December and brings with him a wealth of experience having delivered feted success at Turf Moor in particular.
Senior boss Danny Röhl is a man well-versed in youth football of course having spent much of his 20s working his way through the ranks of the youth set-up at RB Leipzig. Asked about his relationship and the ideas Pepper has brought to S6, Röhl spoke positively.
Immediate items on the agenda
It’s the time of year that youth academies across the country are making decisions on the future of their soon-to-be out-of-contract players and The Star has reason to believe some Wednesday youngsters have been given broad indications of their status - with more discussions and conversations to be had in the coming weeks.
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Röhl suggested a positive working relationship with Pepper and made clear their next meeting will bring about final calls on the futures of many youngsters.
“We spoke to one another, we had some meetings and we have a meeting once a month to speak about the players,” the German coach told The Star. “The next meeting this month we will speak about which players we need, which to keep and which have a chance to make the next step into the first team this summer. These are topics and it is good to have him here. He is experienced and we must carry on. We will work on all this structure.”
Fresh ideas at Middlewood Road
Efforts have been made in the past months in attempting to further what has been something of a long-term struggle at S6 - the graduation of players from the academy to a sustained position within the senior set-up. Pepper’s vast experience has delivered fresh thinking to the youth ranks and - if properly implemented - it seems changes could be made to how things are done.
Röhl described to The Star a potential new approach to not only youth player recruitment but also how things are directed, with a suggested focus placed on the players most likely to make the jump from academy to the senior set-up.
“He has his own ideas, especially for the recruitment and which players we must scout,” Röhl said. “Also on manpower and in which areas we can look wider and have some more players in the academy. This is good and he brings a mindset that is focused on developing individual players more than the team development.
“This is important in the academy, that we do not look too early to improve the team, that it is about improving the individuals and making the best players better so they are ready for the next step. It is good, I have the experience with Leipzig and when you are in an academy for a long time you know what it all means. It is helpful he is here and hopefully it brings the club and this area forward.”
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