Sheffield Wednesday defender future to be discussed with talks between clubs and agent mooted
Sheffield Wednesday defender Joe Emery is on loan at South Shields.
Sheffield Wednesday youngster Joe Emery is hopeful that his loan stint in non-league will be extended as he continues to learn from a former Premier League defender.
The 19-year-old academy graduate made seven appearances for the Owls as one of a number of young players to make the jump up to first team football amid last season’s chaos - before spending time with the seniors in pre-season including in their European trip to Hungary and Austria.
Emery has played twice for National League North outfit South Shields since entering into a one-month loan agreement earlier this month and has received huge praise for his ‘elite-level’ mentality towards the arrangement by manager Mike Williamson, a former top tier defender with Newcastle United.
Speaking to our sister title The Shields Gazette, the teenager described how much he is enjoying the experience of being out on loan and made little secret of his desire to stay on for longer at Mariners Park.
“I’m loving it, it’s a great way of playing,” he said ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup tie with Buxton FC, where he’s in-line to face-off with a number of fellow Wednesday faces past and present. “They’re a great group of lads and they’ve made me so welcome. I couldn’t ask for much more from a loan to be honest. It’s a 28-day loan initially - but it would be nice to stick around and I’m sure we will speak with Wednesday and my agent about what could happen.”
Wednesday have spoken about the importance of getting young players out on loan to experience regular men’s football, as well as the flexibility loans to non-league clubs can offer. With Di’Shon Bernard close to full match contention and Sil Swinkels nearing a return from injury, the Owls look well-stocked at the back. With Emery’s time on loan earning rave reviews, an extension would seem likely deal to do.
Emery continued: “We play a similar way within the under-21s although we flick and change a little bit - but here, we set the way we play and everyone knows what they have to do, everyone knows the patterns of play. It does help with settling in here. When you think of the National League North and you’ve played clubs in pre-season friendlies, you think about it being long ball and physical - but South Shields play a different way and that has really helped me.
“Mike’s details are amazing and he has really helped me out during my time here. He’s obviously played in the Premier League so I am learning a lot from his experience and all of the little details he is giving me about positioning and defending in general.”