Points deductions, Wilder and taking Garry Monk’s side in that David Wagner spat: introducing new Sheffield Wednesday coach Andrew Hughes

The new Sheffield Wednesday first-team coach, announced yesterday alongside former Birmingham City duo James Beattie and Darryl Flahavan as the new faces in Garry Monk’s backroom revolution at the club, is a figure well-known to football anoraks in Yorkshire, having captained Leeds United before taking on a coaching role with Sheffield United under-23s last season.

But scratch beyond the appearance numbers and Wikipedia profiles and there’s a lot to be admired. There’s a lot that fits Sheffield Wednesday’s profile quite nicely.

Hughes, 42, was a dogged, committed if – by his own admission – a slightly limited player who came through the ranks at Oldham Athletic before stints at Notts County, Reading, Norwich, Leeds, Scunthorpe, Charlton and Bolton.

Enough clubs to see a bit of the way football is played then? You bet, and from worthwhile mentors too; he played under the likes of Neil Warnock, Sam Allardyce, Alan Pardew and Simon Grayson before coaching under Schalke coach David Wagner at Huddersfield and – whisper it quietly of course – LMA Manager of the Year Chris Wilder.

In entering Garry Monk’s world of intense attention to detail, Hughes will be no stranger. Having impressed in jobs at Bolton and Crystal Palace, his experience under Wagner was one he fought tooth and nail for – reportedly learning a touch of German in order to impress Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant – interviewing five times for a role he got in 2016.

He was named first-team coach and was metres away when his old boss bundled with his new one, Monk and Wagner tangling in a high-profile touchline spat as the Terriers boss celebrated a late winner in the 2017 Yorkshire derby over Monk’s Leeds.

Such is the way in those matches, tribalism set in and you were either with one camp or against them. Hughes, only months into his relationship with Wagner, stuck with how he saw it and instead took Monk’s side. Integrity honesty and bravery, it would seem, are traits he holds dear.

“I told him [Wagner] the truth quite brutally,” Hughes said in an excellent interview with The Athletic earlier this year.

“I told him he can’t do that. ‘Why not?’ Because in England they won’t have it. All you’ll get is hassle every time you do it.

“I wasn’t trying to be clever. It just needed to be said, to help him out more than anything, because in Germany they saw it differently.”

Last week The Star spoke to two of Hughes’ former teammates at Leeds United, and former Owls of course, David Prutton and David Lucas.

The conversation centred on the 2006/07 season that saw the Whites overcome a 15-point deduction to reach the League One playoff final. Parallels were reached for and interestingly, both players mentioned Hughes’ name without prompting.

He was club captain that year and over the course of a three-year spell at Elland Road became a club icon they still sing about today. Talent-wise he was no Eddie Gray, no Pablo Hernandez, but he was a leader that showed a drive and ability to get the best out of those around him that the club remembers.

Asked about the culture needed in that side, Prutton said: “It helped that we started well, that's important, we got that camaraderie going.

“These negatives can really turn out to be positives if you are able to get cracking and cultivate that mentality and culture you’re giving yourselves a good chance. But you’ve got to have the personalities for that.

“That’s down to the players as much as it is the coaching staff and we had some fighters there. Andy Hughes was a big part of it, he brought leadership out in a few other people too, people you wouldn’t expect it from.”

“The whole thing invigorated me,” Hughes later said.

It’s an ability and experience Monk will no doubt be looking to tap into as Wednesday go about tackling a major points deduction of their own.

Hughes continued his popularity during his time at Huddersfield and struck up a great rapport with Wagner, who he said was the reason he left Palace. He’s alluded to the desire to one day take on a first-team management role and said the opportunity to learn under the tactically-astute German was too good to miss.

Having left in 2019 he moved to Sheffield United, to work under Chris Wilder in Jack Lester’s revamped youth set-up at Bramall Lane.

Following his unveiling as under-23s manager Wilder described him as a ‘switched-on, enthusiastic coach’ who was on a similar wavelength to himself.

“With him it all starts with simple values; outrun, outfight, outplay,” Hughes said of Wilder’s methods. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve learned from seeing how he operates. I’ve been really fortunate to get this chance.”

A tee-totaller whose commitment to the game meant he was able to continue playing into his 37th year, football is Hughes’ life. When he was studying for his Pro License qualifications, Hughes went against the grain and examined why managers – in all walks of life – take staff with them to new jobs.

Garry Monk has done that now, and although Andrew Hughes is a new colleague, it’s time for the new-look backroom outfit to get down to work.

On paper at least, it would seem he has chosen wisely.

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

Sheffield Wednesday backroom given shake-up with addition of THREE new faces

Deadline to be set over Sheffield Wednesday season ticket rebate call

Drugs offences, Man City scouts, clothing lines: What happened to the Sheffield Wednesday side that played the first-ever game on ITV Digital 19 years ago today?

Editor's message: Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues. The Star is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions for unlimited access to Sheffield news and information online. Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.