Sheffield Wednesday defender Yan Valery reflects on 'tough' season - looks forward to World Cup
Yan Valery was loaned out in the second-half of the season
Yan Valery says it has been one of the ‘toughest’ seasons he has experienced.
The 27-year-old made 23 appearances in the first-half of the Championship campaign as Sheffield Wednesday were rooted to the bottom of the table following a points deduction and financial troubles which led to the club being put into administration by former owner Dejphon Chansiri. Players went unpaid and some handed in their notice and departed, leaving a threadbare squad behind.
The versatile Valery was loaned out to Swiss Super League side Young Boys in the January transfer window after expressing a desire to depart as he looked to secure a place in Tunisia’s World Cup squad, which he achieved. He assisted three goals in 14 appearances. The move helped Wednesday save a significant sum of £600,000 on wages.
“Definitely one of my toughest seasons on and off the pitch but we got through it and learnt from it,” he posted on social media. “So proud of all the boys I have shared the changing room with this season and would not have asked for it to be any different. Now time to reset and get ready for this amazing opportunity to represent my country at the World Cup.”
Valery is the first Wednesday player to go to a World Cup since John Sheridan, who represented Republic of Ireland in 1994. Roland Nilsson also featured in the same tournament in the States, having left Hillsborough at the end of the previous season.
He has one more year left on his Wednesday contract but a move away is possible, especially if he impresses in the World Cup, which starts on June 11 and takes place in USA, Canada and Mexico. Tunisia are in a group with Sweden, Japan and Netherlands.
According to reports, FIFA will pay clubs close to $11,000 per day for every player that is released for the tournament, meaning Wednesday are in in line for a useful cash injection.