Sheffield Wednesday exits done right – a new generation is coming: Joe Crann’s column

Earlier this week it was confirmed that nine members of the team underneath the senior side would be leaving at the end of their respective contracts, and the club’s early decision-making is something that’s mutually beneficial.

Because there is clearly a rebuild happening at Wednesday.

Moore has been heavily focused on the first team, of course, but there’s plenty happening behind the scenes with numerous meetings taking place to discuss the pathway up from the academy through to the professional ranks.

The Owls boss is working closely with the likes of Steve Haslam, Neil Thompson and Andy Holdsworth, and the decisions this week do appear to shed some light onto some of the plans for the future.

Seven of the nine players that have been released are already 20+ and haven’t been able to make the step up into the senior ranks too often – and with the injury crisis that rocked the club this year ((coupled with the relegation into League One) it’s probably safe to say that if they didn’t get a chance this season, then they probably wouldn’t get it at all.

So by letting them know early, those youngsters – who undoubtedly have talent – can begin their search for a pastures new in March rather than at the end of the season when thousands of others find themselves in the same boat.

Moore told me this week, “Some of them have come to us and said they’ve got offers of trials at different clubs who want to look at them, and what we’ve done is make sure we sign a medical disclaimer so they’re allowed to go.

“We have a lot of teams asking for players, and now we’re able to send a list out and they get the opportunity to go out and potentially earn a contract elsewhere.”

And it’s two-fold.

Because their exit opens up space for the next generation. A generation for whom there is plenty to be excited about.

When Thompson named his U23 side to face Sheffield United this week there were already signs that the wind of change was blowing. 11 of the 16 players in the squad were either last year’s U18s or this year’s U18s – a statistic that made the 1-0 win even sweeter.

Moore has already started fast-tracking some players through the ranks in order to aid their development, with several members of Holdsworth’s table-topping U18s having spent time with the first team, and the fact that next year’s U23s look set to be almost exclusively made up of teenagers is exciting. It’ll challenge them, it’ll test their mettle, and it’ll drive them on to delve into themselves in order to show that they’re capable of doing the business against older, more experienced players. And it’ll happen in an environment cultivated by a manager who knows his way around an academy setup.

Timing is everything when it comes to young footballers, timing can make or break their careers, and it feels like Wednesday have got it just right this time – for both the guys who are leaving, and the ones who are sticking around.

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