Taking the Michael – Sheffield Wednesday bid farewell to Ronseal Michael Ihiekwe
‘It does exactly what it says on the tin’ was the slogan adopted by Ronseal in 1994, and in football terms it’s what Sheffield Wednesday got with Michael Ihiekwe.
‘Icky’ joined the Owls in a double raid of local rivals, Rotherham United, three years ago. Both he and Michael Smith dropped down a division, leaving the recently-promoted Millers for Darren Moore’s League One Wednesday much to the chagrin of many fans from up the road.
They were signed with one goal in mind: promotion. Both had done it before, both had proven quality in the third tier, and in signing Smith and Ihiekwe the Owls boss had secured two players that would bolster their chances of securing a return to the Championship.
“For me they will bring a wealth of experience and a wealth of leadership,” the Wednesday boss said after quite literally taking the Michaels. “One will bring goal prowess and a better ability to help you win games and the other will bring a solidity to your backline.
“We have strengthened both boxes in terms of ability, size and presence. It does what it says on the tin if you look at their playing records over recent seasons, the stats speak for themselves. They have a robustness and fitness to their game which is exceptional.”
In Ihiekwe the Owls thought they were signing a leader, a role model, a man who’d put his head where others wouldn’t put their feet, somebody capable of getting rid when the ball needed getting rid of. The big centre back ticked every single box.
And he didn’t disappoint. He led, he was a role model, put his head where others wouldn’t put their feet, and got rid when the ball needed getting rid of. He got promotion.
Michael Ihiekwe’s Sheffield Wednesday story
But Ihiekwe’s Wednesday story was no easy ride. There have been injury setbacks, he’s been left out in the cold, he’s been on the brink of exit. But every time he came back, professional as ever, to do a job for the team.
In his first season, after a strong start, he picked up an injury that would keep him out for months. The play-off final was just his fourth game back, but you’d never have known. He won 14 aerials duels that day, almost double anyone else on the pitch.
Season number two, after promotion, saw him sidelined or benched for the bulk of the first half of the campaign. Then came Preston North End away, and he was a machine. It was a huge moment in the Owls’ Great Escape, and a big one for him as well. The defender missed just three more games after that, and even went on to get his first goal for the club.
It's the summer of 2024, Danny Röhl has signed players, and ‘Icky’ is down the pecking order once again. January rolls around and he’s played just four league games, and been told he can find himself a new club. There was plenty of interest.
But then things change, injuries elsewhere mean a return to action, and he’s thrown straight into the deep end away at Elland Road. He hadn’t sulked when he’d been left out, there was no spitting of dummies, and now he was ready to be called upon once again. Röhl had brought him in from the cold the year before, and now had to do so once again. “In my heart I get a smile and in his development it shows me that at any age you develop players, this is fantastic,” he said.
Now he will leave, though. Ihiekwe’s contract is up in the summer and won’t be renewed, and again he won’t be short of options. You’d fully expect his former bosses, Paul Warne and Darren Moore, to be on the phone for a start. Because you know what you get with ‘Icky’. You get a professional, you get a fighter. You get a man who made 312 league clearances during his time at the club, and won 389 aerial duels. And you get a bloody good guy, too.
In the hours after Josh Windass’ Wembley winner we stood in the club’s hotel, revelling in the afternoon that we’d just witnessed. My colleague, Alex Miller, and I were taking it all in when we were approached by two giants – the Michaels. They had a thing or two to say about our ratings, and we laughed about it being literally the worst part of our job. But they got it, we all exist in this bonkers sport together.
I’ll finish this with some words from Icky’s wife, Rosie. Because she’ll know him better than any of us.
“You have got to where you are and achieved what you have through nothing but tireless work,” she said in an email to me in 2023, when asked for a message to her husband. “After an unbelievable play-off final and coming to the end of the season achieving what you had set out for, I see you the next evening still going over your match clips, watching for where you can improve. That just shows how much of a true professional you are.”
And that, I think, sums up the man.
The Star has a dedicated Sheffield Wednesday WhatsApp Channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates direct to your phone. Simply click here to join