"He's a bit mad!" Skillset of Sheffield Wednesday's secret weapon is 'crazy' - he's no yes man

Danish coach Henrik Pedersen left a managerial role at Vendsyssel FF to take up his position as one of Danny Röhl's right-hand men at S6 and serves a prominent voice behind the scenes, offering a link between players and management while taking many sessions himself. When there's a rollicking to be handed out, it's understood, Pedersen is often the man to do it.

Asked about the 46-year-old in conversation with The Star, club captain Barry Bannan cracked into laughter when asked to describe the way Pedersen goes about his business, but made clear the Dane is an outstanding operator and an extension to the manager he said is the best he's ever worked under.

"He's a bit mad!" Bannan chuckled. "He shouts a lot but he is amazing really, coaching-wise and tactically he's unbelievable and he can have a laugh as well, which is good. He's got a bit of everything about him but his actual tactical side is crazy. He's very vocal on the training pitch and he takes a lot of the sessions.

"Tactically, when it comes to building up with the ball and stuff, he offers these little tips that are just crazy. You'll be out on the pitch and something will happen and it'll trigger you back to something that he said would happen. He's really good at his job and he's a lovely man as well which is a bonus. He's a good guy to have, he's very energetic."

Röhl and Pedersen go way back having both been reared in the Red Bull system - though this is the first time the pair has been on the same coaching staff together. The senior man twice held coaching roles in Red Bull Salzburg's fated youth set-up and also managed Red Bull Ghana in a six-year stint with the energy drink-headed enterprise. His management roles include stints with HB Køge, Eintracht Braunschweig and Strømsgodset and he was assistant manager at Union Berlin under Jens Keller.

"He is a big part of my side with the tactical things and he has known me and my football for 10 years, this is important," Röhl told The Star. "It's not about starting from zero, he knows me. We have known each other all this time but it is the first time we have worked together and so it is a new situation for us.

"He demands a lot from his players but this is what I want from my assistants, I have different profiles in my coaches and I think it makes our group very strong. If you have the same profiles around you, guys that just say 'Yes, yes, yes', then it is not helpful. You need to have that conversation with you sometimes and Henrik is the guy who will come and challenge me in the coaching room. He gives us a lot and he knows how to speak players individually and give them a clear picture.

"Every coach takes responsibility in training. It's not that I always take things, they have the space to improve and be part of my team. This is a strength, we are all on the page, we all take responsibility for different parts."