Sheffield Wednesday: Four things we noticed after glance into Owls’ preseason training

It’s less than six weeks now until the Owls’ 2022/23 campaign gets underway, and they started gearing themselves up for a season during which much will be expected of them once again as they hope to push for promotion out of League One and back into the Championship.

Not all of the players were present as Wednesday begin their preparations for the season ahead, but new defensive signing, Ben Heneghan, is well and truly into the thick of things as he looks to try and hit the ground running, and we had a look at a few other things that were noticeable from the glance inside the inner workings at Middlewood Road.

The newbies

As aforementioned, Heneghan did his first interview as a Wednesday player earlier this week, and was shown hard at work at Middlewood Road in the video released today. He says he’s looking to learn lots from his new manager.

There was, however, no sign of their latest recruit, David Stockdale, who it’s thought has been given a bit of extra time off before reporting to the training after a 52-game season for the 36-year-old resulted in an ultimately unsuccessful trip to Wembley with Wycombe Wanderers.

The returns

But there was a familiar face back between the sticks in S6 as Cameron Dawson, fresh on the back of a very successful spell in League One, with the Owls stopper back to work in blue and white as he prepares for the new season.

Indications are that Moore wants him and Stockdale to battle it out for the number one shirt this season, and he’ll be desperate to get off to a good start in preseason.

Another return to Middlewood Road was that of young Alex Hunt, who spent last season out on loan with Grimsby Town and Oldham Athletic. The first half was more successful than the second for the 22-year-old, and he’ll feel like this season is a big one for him.

At least one youngster

It was always thought that a few younger players would step up in preseason given the amount of exits and the fact that there’s currently only been out outfield player recruited, however only one was on show in today’s video.

21-year-old Ryan Galvin is no stranger to the Owls’ first team, but after a good loan spell last season in Gloucester then Moore will be eager to see how much the left back has come on.

Rob Lee

The former Doncaster Rovers man is enjoying his first preseason with the Owls since being brought in by Moore last year, and was seen putting the players through their paces at S6 as he gears them up for the season ahead.

Lee, the club’s Head of Sports Science, is the key men tasked with making sure the players are up to scratch come the opening day next month, and he’ll be awaiting more fresh faces in the new couple of weeks as the signings continue. Watch this space.

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