Sheffield Wednesday considering signing of Leeds United international youngster
Sheffield Wednesday’s under-21 side earned a hugely impressive draw at Brentford on Monday evening, with no fewer than four trialists in the side.
The young Owls continued their strong form to take a 1-1 scoreline away from the Gtech Community Stadium against a Brentford side containing a number of Premier League players. Mackenzie Maltby got the Wednesday leveller to secure an impressive result.
One Wednesday trialist named is 17-year-old Leeds United goalkeeper Owen Grainger. Grainger made a number of saves in the game and is believed to be out of contract in the coming months. He has spent time out on loan in senior football with hometown club Bridlington Town in the Northern Premier League and has regularly played in higher age groups for Leeds - including regular time on the bench in their Premier League 2 campaign this season.
Grainger is Yorkshire-born but has represented Northern Ireland at age group level, collecting three caps for their under-17s. He was called up at under-18 level for matches against England and Morocco last year but watched on from the bench.
The wave of trialists involved at Wednesday is a regular theme at clubs up and down the country at this time of year, as academies look to blood potential new signings known to be leaving their current clubs. The Star have revealed a number of forthcoming departures from the Owls youth ranks in recent days, including keeper Jack Hall, Sam Reed, Cian Flannery and Jay Buchan. Ernie Weaver and Jack Phillips are expected to be offered fresh deals.
It all comes after senior boss Danny Röhl described fresh recruitment ideas from new head of academy Jonathan Pepper.
“He has his own ideas, especially for the recruitment and which players we must scout,” Röhl told The Star last month. “Also on manpower and in which areas we can look wider and have some more players in the academy. This is good and he brings a mindset that is focused on developing individual players more than the team development.
“This is important in the academy, that we do not look too early to improve the team, that it is about improving the individuals and making the best players better so they are ready for the next step. It is good, I have the experience with Leipzig and when you are in an academy for a long time you know what it all means. It is helpful he is here and hopefully it brings the club and this area forward.”