'Move forward stronger' The Star's Sheffield Wednesday player of the year duo make hopeful wish
The Star held its annual sports awards at the OEC Events Centre in Hillsborough on Tuesday evening - where two Sheffield Wednesday figures were awarded the Owls player of the year gong.
The leadership shown this season by Sheffield Wednesday pair Svante Ingelsson and Liam Palmer was roundly praised at The Star Sports Awards on Tuesday evening - as the pair shared this season’s Owls player of the year award.
Lifelong Wednesdayite Palmer received special recognition for his contribution to football in the city having recently gone past 500 matches in an Owls shirt. An inevitable outing in the weekend’s season-closing clash against West Brom will put him clear as the second-highest appearance holder in the club’s history behind only pre-war hero Andrew Wilson.
Swede Ingelsson has risen to fan favourite status for his effort and commitment to a brutal campaign in which Wednesday have won only once, back in September. Both players are vital senior players within the dressing room, with Palmer having taken on the captaincy with distinction following Barry Bannan’s exit in January.
Speaking on receipt of the award, Palmer said: "It's been a tough season as everybody knows. It's been one of resilience, of young players stepping up when maybe they wouldn't even be training with us in a normal season. For me, it's been my job along with the coaching staff to show them the way. They've done really well. The club has seemed quite uncertain at times, but I think the constant throughout has been there in the drive from this man next to me. He deserves a lot of credit for the job he's done. He stuck his neck out and took the job when others walked away and that's a good quality he should get a lot of credit for.
"It's been tough, but I think being able to honour this club and turn up every day is the driver. I joined the club at seven years old and I'm 34 now, so there's no place I'd rather play. It's through good times and the bad. I've won this award before when we've had promotion and good times when it's easy to speak. It's not always so easy when you've had such an unprecedented season with a lot of blows. We want to finish strong on Saturday, we hope with new owners and the club can get on its way again."
Both winners are approaching the end of their current contracts at S6, though Wednesday hold an option on Ingelsson’s contract amid heavy interest from a number of Championship clubs.
Midfielder Ingelsson wasn’t able to make the event due to ongoing treatment on a knee injury but speaking via video, he said: “I am very honoured to receive this award. I want to thank all the people around the club; players, staff, workers and of course the fans. It’s been very hard for all of us, but it’s been us and nobody else who have kept this club moving forwards. Now we can move forward stronger through what we’ve been through and we can look forward to a brighter future. Thank you.”
Henrik Pedersen spoke glowingly on the influence of both players on what has been a largely inexperienced changing room battling through desperate circumstances all campaign; through payment delays, rabid uncertainty over the club’s future, managerial exits, the departure of teammates and the difficulties they have had on-field.
Speaking to The Star, the Dane said: “What is experience? Experience without hunger is nothing, and they have both a big, big hunger to learn as a player and hunger to learn as a human. We all know when we are in a period that is difficult, then it's easy to be in our head, and when we are in the head we are in the past, or we are in the future, and it's difficult just to be in the moment.
“And then it can be easy to go into old patterns, so we have also spoken a lot, who do you want to be when you are tired? So when we go into old patterns it can be easy to just, why am I not doing this, why am I not doing this, instead of to be a leader who can see something the young guys can't see, and help them to show them a way so they get the support so they can grow, so they have a safe environment.
“And here Svante and Liam have had a high self-awareness, and that means they also have a big self-control, and that's why the level for both of them and our senior group has been very, very high in this way. How important will it be to have such experience again next season? I mean, culture is everything. If we don't have a good culture, the tactic doesn't help, because the culture eats the tactic.
“Of course it's important to have strong personalities, but it is to have strong personalities without egos. Because we want to have players who want to give something, and don't only do something to get something. And here we have is a good example for the leaders we want to also have in the new season.”