Sheffield Wednesday: Middlesbrough's Lewis Wing opens up on Neil Warnock relationship and reveals possible free transfer move in the summer

The 26-year-old, who rose back into form on Tuesday evening with an eye-catching performance against Sunderland, was speaking ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup first round clash with Plymouth Argyle.

Wing arrived as part of a whirlwind summer at S6 and turned down interest from a handful of Championship clubs in order to sign for Wednesday.

Reports in the North East confirmed that Wing has agreed a year’s contract extension in order to secure his move to South Yorkshire.

Asked whether Wednesday was a potential destination, Wing replied positively and revealed that the loan extension agreed with the Riverside club was not quite as clear-cut as previously thought. Wing could well be a free agent come next summer.

He told The Star: “That year extension has to get exercised by Middlesbrough so we don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I’m trying not to think about all that. I’m trying to think about now and I definitely see a potential to be at this club for longer than just a loan period.

Former Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock is the manager at Middlesbrough and while Wing spoke of the open conversations he had had with his parent club boss in the lead-up to his summer move, he suggested it may be the case that the 72-year-old isn’t among his greatest admirers.

“I haven’t heard from Neil. I don’t know if he’s my greatest fan,” he said with a knowing smile.

“I’ve heard from people at the club, they checked in yesterday to see how I was settling in and how I was doing, so that was nice.”

The job for now though is to continue his form after what he described as a ‘frustrating’ couple of months in and out of the team and struggling for form.

Asked his assessment of the club just a few months into his season-long loan, he said: “I love the place. Since I’ve come here I’ve seen just how big the club is. The fanbase is massive. It’s a big club.

“Hopefully we’re going in the right direction now to get it back where it belongs.”