‘No matter what’ – Honest Will Vaulks opens up on his ‘frustrating’ Sheffield Wednesday start

Vaulks came on board as a big signing over the summer, securing a switch to Hillsborough after leaving Cardiff City at the end of last season.

But an injury in preseason meant that the 29-year-old didn’t get the benefit of starting the 2022/23 campaign at full tilt, and has had to be patient as he waited for a chance to slot into Darren Moore’s midfield.

The last two games, however, have seen him take his chance – and his wonder strike to seal victory over Port Vale was a reminder to any potential doubters of what he can bring to the table.

Speaking to The Star at Vale Park at the weekend, the former Rotherham United man said, “I had a little niggle in preseason, which set me back, which was frustrating because I’ve never been injured in my career.

“Obviously I came to the club with the hopes of playing a lot of football and being in a successful team, but we’ve got a great midfield unit with a lot of good players in there, and sometimes you have to be patient.

“People who know me know that I’m not the most patient, but I’ll always train hard and wait for my opportunity.

“The gaffer is brilliant at speaking to you and keeping you on side - he’ll make sure that you know you have to take your chances when you get them, and hopefully over the last two games I’ve done that.”

And while he admits that he’s not a big fan of sitting on the bench – something he’s not done too much of over the course of his career – he’ll always be 100% behind whoever does start as the Owls go in search of promotion back up to the Championship.

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“At the end of the day it’s a team game,” he said. “It’s not just about me, but of course we do what we do to play football. So when I’m not in the team it’s tough.

“I’m certainly a team player, and I get behind the lads no matter what, but individually if you asked me and I said I was happy on the bench then I think it’d be a warning sign for the manager.

“You know, ‘Oh he’s just happy collecting a wage and sitting on the bench’. That’s not what I came here to do, I came here to play football and help the club be successful and get up the league.”

The midfielder has certainly done enough over the last couple of games to earn himself a start against Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night as the Owls make the trip to Home Park for a top-of-the-table League One clash, but with George Byers possibly back fit again there may be a tough decision to make for Moore.

Wednesday will go top if they beat Plymouth and Ipswich Town don’t beat Cambridge United.

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