'Announce myself' - Will Grainger sets Sheffield Wednesday target after recent breakthrough
Will Grainger will be hoping to build on his strong finish to last season with Sheffield Wednesday this coming campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday youngster Will Grainger has set himself the target of making a name for himself this season after catching the eye towards the end of last term.
After scoring his first senior goal in the Owls' 4-1 defeat to Oxford United in their penultimate outing of the 2025/26 campaign, the 17-year-old earned his first start for the club the following weekend, helping Wednesday end the season with a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion in front of more than 30,000 fans at Hillsborough.
The teenager, who recently signed a three-year contract at Hillsborough, is widely considered as the club’s most exciting youngster, and supporters are hopeful he can play an important role this coming season.
The versatile attacker, who is highly rated by Owls manager Henrik Pedersen, will be hoping to build on last season’s tally of eight senior appearances and become a more familiar fixture in the Dane’s plans. Having enjoyed what has been his first pre-season abroad with Wednesday, the youngster has outlined his ambitious plans for the upcoming campaign.
“I feel good,” Grainger told Wednesday’s YouTube channel. “I feel like I just need to build on what I did at the back end of last season.
“I know that it's nothing - a few games at the end of last season was nothing. So, I need to really try and announce myself this season and just play as many minutes as possible.”
Reflecting on the club’s pre-season tour and looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, Grainger added: “It's just getting used to the habits of the first team and trying to do those myself as well. If I kind of get them into my everyday life when I'm with them, hopefully I can get closer and closer to being a professional on and off the pitch.
“But a pre-season camp like this is especially important for a young player. It’s only my second season full-time, so it really helps me get fitter, and it’s only going to help going into the season.
“It’s a long season in League One; you’ve got loads of cup games and you’ve got 46 games across the league. You’ve got to be at it.
“With the manager wanting us to play the way we’re playing, you’ve got to be at it in all the games. So, I think it’s really important to get your legs going in this pre-season and try to maximise it as well.”