Sil Swinkels might have given Henrik Pedersen the answer to one part of his Sheffield Wednesday dilemma
It will soon be time for Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen to settle on what he believes is his strongest starting XI.
After stepping up to replace Danny Röhl as Sheffield Wednesday manager ahead of the start of last season, Henrik Pedersen was never spoilt for choice when it came to squad depth.
Wednesday’s squad was butchered last summer, leaving the Dane short on both numbers and quality. Despite being permitted to add a free agent or two and a handful of loanees to his squad as the season progressed, it did little to shift the needle.
As a result, he was repeatedly forced to pick the same players week-in, week-out, regardless of their form. It was a brutal reminder of the situation former owner Dejphon Chansiri had left the club in.
Now, with just under two weeks to go until the start of the 2026/27 campaign, the mood at Hillsborough could not be more contrasting. It goes without saying that more signings are required to improve both the quality and size of the squad, but Wednesday are in a much, much better place than they were 12 months ago.
The need for a striker is obvious, as is the importance of adding some depth in the goalkeeping department. One position that does not require any further work, though, is centre-back.
Following the additions of Ricardo Santos and Sil Swinkels, along with Liam Cooper’s decision to sign a new contract at Hillsborough, Wednesday now have eight natural centre-backs on their books. Captain Liam Palmer, Max Lowe and Yan Valery — although the latter’s future is still expected to lie away from S6 — can also operate at centre-back.
Just how Pedersen will keep the members of Wednesday’s centre-back pool happy will be a challenge in itself. Each member of the group will believe they are worthy of regular game time, although the likes of Cole McGhee and Joe Emery may secure their best chance of consistent minutes by heading out on loan.
By the time the Owls’ League One curtain-raiser against Leyton Orient at the BetWright Stadium arrives in just under three weeks’ time, all eyes will be on Pedersen, with the expectation that Wednesday will set up with a back four, to see who he deploys at centre-back.
Di’Shon Bernard, who has not played since February last year due to a knee injury, Santos and Cooper are yet to feature in pre-season because of fitness issues. As a result, it remains to be seen whether they will be deemed fit enough to start the League One opener.
Their absences so far this summer, though, have allowed Swinkels to stake his claim for a starting berth against Orient. He has started the clashes with West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End and Stoke City, and his performances have provided an insight into what he can bring to the team.
Recruited from Aston Villa, the 22-year-old, who has signed a three-year deal at Hillsborough, is viewed as a player who can develop in S6 and go on a journey with the Owls. He impressed on loan at Chesterfield during the second half of last season, earning regular praise for his ability on the ball and his dominance in the air.
In the modern game, managers value centre-backs who are comfortable in possession and capable of progressing the ball from deeper areas of the pitch. Swinkels demonstrated against Stoke on Saturday that he is capable of doing exactly that, regularly bringing the ball out from the back, stepping into midfield and playing line-breaking passes.
Being left-footed, the Dutchman provides balance on the left side of Wednesday’s defence, making him a natural option to occupy the left-sided centre-back berth. Wednesday have ambitions of controlling possession in matches this coming season, meaning there will be an onus on their defenders to be comfortable in possession and capable of building from the back.
Assured in possession, the former Bristol Rovers and Exeter City loanee can also vary his approach, demonstrating that he has the ability to play both short and long passes.
With Wednesday’s number of centre-backs threatening to create a welcome selection headache for Pedersen ahead of the start of the season, Swinkels’ first few outings in blue and white may have already reduced the size of the dilemma, with the former Villa man emerging as a strong contender to occupy the left-sided centre-back berth for the season opener and beyond.