Ex-Sheffield Wednesday loanee Jordan Storey will return with ‘mixed emotions’ this weekend

The 25-year-old spent half a season on loan at Wednesday in the 2021/22 campaign and made 21 appearances in what he has previously described as a kickstart to his career having fallen out of favour with PNE bss and former Owls forward Ryan Lowe.

Storey proved a popular figure on the Owls terraces and provided defensive qualities that allowed the Owls to finish the season strongly before falling to Sunderland at the play-off semi-final stage.

Wednesday welcome a Preston North End side in which the defender is a first team regular to S6 this weekend looking to get their first points of the season.

Reflecting on the Owls’ promotion last season - which Storey watched from afar - he told pnefc.net: “I think they deserved it,

“If you look at their squad and the quality of players they’ve got, it’s a great squad and credit to Darren [Moore] for getting the job done. I think the club as a whole deserve to be back in the Championship.

“It’ll be nice to go back there finally. It was a good loan spell there and I met some great people, some great lads, so it’ll be nice to finally go back there.

“I think it made me really buck my ideas up and focus, put all my energy into football, and obviously I look back at it with mixed emotions.

“Obviously it was good for me personally but to fall at one of the last hurdles was bitterly disappointing.”

Some 1,600 Preston fans will make the trip across the Pennines this weekend, something Storey hopes will help his side continue a promising start to the season that has welcomed four points from their two league matches.

“It’s massive,” said Storey. “I feel personally like we’ve got one of the best away followings in the league.

“Obviously it’s a bit disappointing not to have as many derbies as we did last year, but the fans do travel well for us so it’ll be great.”