What Dave Challinor has said about his future as Sheffield Wednesday begin search for new boss
Sheffield Wednesday supporters have frequently brought up Dave Challinor’s name in social media conversations in recent weeks.
Former Stockport County manager Dave Challinor recently admitted that he is “ready” to return to the pressure cooker of football management amid speculation that he could be in the running for the Sheffield Wednesday job.
The Owls announced the departure of manager Henrik Pedersen on Sunday afternoon, less than 24 hours after he oversaw a 2-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers at the Club Doncaster Sports Village.
As he had against Notts County four days earlier, the Dane faced chants of “we want Pedersen out” from the away end, making it feel as though he had reached a point of no return. Wednesday’s recent performances had been underwhelming, and this was highlighted as a key reason behind the club’s decision to relieve Pedersen of his duties.
In a statement, Owls sporting director Simon Wilson said: “We knew the start of this season would be difficult due to the scale of change across the club, but our expectation was always that we would develop as the season progressed, establishing a recognisable style of play and greater consistency in our performances.
“Although we have accumulated points, we haven’t seen enough progress in those areas. We believe making a change now gives us the best opportunity to establish those foundations and build towards the second half of the season and beyond.”
At this juncture, it remains to be seen who the Owls will turn to in their search for Pedersen’s successor. However, one name that is likely to be heavily linked with the vacancy at Hillsborough is former Stockport boss Challinor, who worked alongside Wednesday sporting director Wilson at Edgeley Park for several years.
The 51-year-old left the League One club in June following five successful years in charge. Appointed in November 2021, Challinor oversaw the club’s rise from the National League to the brink of the Championship. He left earlier this year after Stockport were beaten 4-1 by Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final.
Challinor has been a regular topic of discussion among Wednesdayites on social media in recent weeks, amid growing doubts over Pedersen’s suitability to take the Owls forward. Now that the Dane has been relieved of his duties, it remains to be seen whether the Owls will consider Challinor as a potential replacement.
Following a brief period away from the dugout, the former Stockport boss, who has won seven promotions as a manager, has said he is open to returning to the managerial hot seat should the right opportunity arise.
“I’m not on social media but I’ve been sent a few links by people saying I’m supposedly in for this or that,” Challinor told The Football League Paper earlier this month. “There’s usually zero substance in it, but I’m ready to come back.
“Whatever opportunity comes up, I’ll be really honest with people and say, ‘Yes, let’s have a chat’, or, ‘No, that’s not for me. I’m not going to lead anyone up the garden path.
“The fact is, I’ve stepped away from a really good club. If I’m going to step back in, I’d want it to be - I don’t want to say a better club - but a club that has similar ambition and gives me the opportunity to be successful again.
“At the moment, I’ve got the luxury of waiting for that. If it’s after Christmas or more towards the end of the season and nothing’s come up, then you may have to re-evaluate where you’re at because you’re quickly forgotten in this business. But let’s see what happens.”