Billy Mitchell profiled as Sheffield Wednesday close in on latest summer signing
Sheffield Wednesday are hopeful of strengthening their midfield options with the signing of Billy Mitchell.
Sheffield Wednesday are closing in on the signing of former Millwall midfielder Billy Mitchell.
The Star revealed on Thursday evening that a deal to bring the Orpington-born midfield enforcer to Hillsborough on a free transfer is edging closer to being finalised.
The Owls, who will fly out to Budapest on Sunday for a mini European pre-season tour, are in the process of rebuilding their squad following relegation to League One last season, and their midfield department remains in desperate need of fresh blood.
Wednesday have had a busy start to the summer, bringing in eight new players so far, including the return of club legend Barry Bannan. He has returned to Hillsborough after less than six months at Millwall.
With Mitchell now poised to link up with his former teammate in South Yorkshire, The Star has produced a profile on the midfielder ahead of his anticipated move to S6.
Who is Billy Mitchell?
Mitchell is a 25-year-old midfielder who is currently a free agent after his contract at Millwall recently expired. His deal expired at the end of June and it has been reported elsewhere that Millwall presented him with three contract offers to try and keep him at The Den.
A boyhood Millwall supporter and a product of their academy, the midfielder is renowned for his tackling ability and never-say-die attitude. He thrives on the dirty side of the game, meaning he will bring aggression and bite to Wednesday’s midfield pool.
What has he done so far?
After joining Millwall’s academy at Under-15s level, the midfielder climbed the rungs of their youth system before graduating to the first team and making his debut in 2019. He made his senior Lions bow on the final day of the 2018/19 season, appearing as a substitute in a 1-0 away defeat to Wigan Athletic.
The following campaign marked his first full season as a first-team player. He was consistently involved with the senior squad but was limited to just ten appearances across all competitions. He made his first Championship start in a 1-0 victory over Hull City at the MKM Stadium in July 2020.
After missing most of the 2020/21 campaign through injury, he finished the season as a regular starter and scored his first and only goal of his Millwall career in a 4-1 win over Bristol City in the penultimate game of the season.
Bringing control, composure on the ball and aggression to the team, Mitchell enjoyed a strong 2021/22 campaign, making 45 appearances across all competitions as Millwall missed out on a play-off place by six points. Millwall went even closer to a top-six finish in 2022/23, missing out by a point on the final day of the season, as Mitchell racked up 36 appearances at the base of the engine room.
The midfielder, who does not turn 26 until next April, made north of 30 appearances again in 2023/24 before being limited to 22 appearances in league and cup in 2024/25. Last season, as Millwall made a surprise push for automatic promotion, Mitchell made 30 appearances across all competitions.
He was a regular starter between Christmas and the start of April, but he missed five of the Lions’ last six matches of the regular season with an ankle issue. He was on the bench for both legs of Millwall’s Championship play-off semi-final defeat to Hull City.
He left The Den with 196 appearances to his name, of which 184 were earned in the Championship. England’s second tier is the only division he has played in during his career so far.
What has been said about him?
During his Millwall career, Mitchell made more appearances under Gary Rowett than any other manager, playing 115 times under the former Birmingham City and Leicester City boss. Mitchell signed a new contract at The Den in March 2020, committing his long-term future to the club, and Rowett praised him for his attitude and his character.
“Billy's done really well,” Rowett said at the time. “When we first came in, he was the standout player in the U23s, simply because his attitude was unbelievable.
"Every game you knew what you were going to get from him, he's a little bit of a leader and he's a bit of a voice. He's quite a feisty character.
"He's been very unfortunate at the moment not be more involved. When you get to this stage of the season sometimes a bit of experience is required, but he's going to be a big player for us come down the line."
Why do Wednesday want him?
First and foremost, it goes without saying that Wednesday are light on numbers in midfield. Following Svante Ingelsson’s move to Stoke City, Callum Slattery, who recently arrived at Hillsborough after leaving Motherwell, and Bannan are the club’s only senior midfielders.
Slattery has been brought in to add creativity and a goal threat from midfield, while Bannan, as we all know only too well, will also provide creativity and drive. Mitchell is a different type of midfielder, building his career on being aggressive and good in the tackle.
As well as providing a sense of bite and aggression, he is also neat and tidy on the ball, meaning he will help with Wednesday’s mission to control matches. He is a box-to-box player, meaning he will also get up and down the pitch, but his primary responsibility is to break up play and ensure his team controls possession.
As his record shows, with just one goal in his senior career, he is unlikely to bring flamboyance and flair to Hillsborough. What he will provide, however, is determination and control in the middle of the pitch, and those qualities cannot be understated.