Sheffield Wednesday icon David Hirst offered opportunity to become club ambassador
Sheffield Wednesday icon David Hirst has revealed he has been handed a new role by the club’s new owners.
Former Sheffield Wednesday striker David Hirst has revealed he has been offered the opportunity to become a club ambassador, admitting Arise Capital Partners want to make use of former players at Hillsborough on matchdays.
Following Arise’s takeover of the Owls last month, it is no secret the US consortium wants to involve famous faces from Wednesday’s history in their plans to try and take the club forward.
During Dejphon Chansiri’s ten-and-a-half-year reign, former players were often overlooked, with their expertise and emotional connections to the club not being utilised by the Thai businessman, who plunged the club into administration for the first time their entire history last October.
Hirst, for example, did not see eye-to-eye with Chansiri amid the situation that centred around his son, George, eventually leaving the Owls back in 2018 to join Belgian club OH Leuven. Although he was never formally banned from Hillsborough by Chansiri, Hirst, who played for the Owls between 1986 and 1997, becoming one of the club’s greatest ever strikers in the process, was at the heart of a well-known public dispute with him.
The former striker returned to S6 last November, appearing alongside a crop of former Owls stars for the 1-1 draw with Norwich City on Bonfire Night. New Owls chairman David Storch was in attendance that evening.
Amid Arise’s hunger to rebuild Wednesday’s relationship with their former stars, Hirst has revealed he has been invited to become an Owls ambassador by new chief executive David Bruce.
Hirst, speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield, said: “Well, I don't know if they've actually announced this, but I spoke to the new CEO, David Bruce, who's invited me to become ambassador for Sheffield Wednesday.
“I know for a fact they're going to bring old players back into the set-up on matchdays. When I say old, I mean ex-players, not necessarily old, because one or two of us are getting that way!
“Things are looking great, and I'm happy to be on board, to be in and around the games again. Like I say, I've probably been to two or three home games in the last nine years or so. So yes, now I'm welcome back.
“I'm looking forward to a new season that, hopefully, like I say, brings smiles to people's faces. We're still waiting on what recruitment we bring in, but yes, I'm looking forward to it.”