Sheffield Wednesday: The stats behind the comeback of maligned defender Morgan Fox

Morgan Fox celebrates his late goal against Swansea which looked like earning Sheffield Wednesday a valuable win

Thrown under the spotlight of vocal supporter criticism earlier this season, the former Charlton man has placed himself among the club’s best performers in recent weeks, securing the club’s fan-voted October player of the month award along the way.

And he so nearly entered the international break as name on all Wednesdayite lips, scoring his second Owls goal in injury time to give them a last-gasp lead before Swansea’s dramatic late equaliser.

The left-back has received further plaudits in the form of an inclusion to the Infogol Championship team of the week for his goal-scoring Swansea display.

And the stats bare out what has been an impressive return to form since his re-call to the Wednesday starting line-up at Cardiff five games ago.

In his 698 minutes in the league this season he has completed more clearances (23) than his full-back colleagues Liam Palmer (22 in 1,214 minutes) and Moses Odubajo (11 in 786 minutes).

He offers more blocks per minute, too, registering one every 99 minutes to Palmer’s 404. Odubajo, out of the side since Fox’s re-call on October 18, is yet to record a Championship block this season.

Attention around Fox has pulled him into contention for a call-up to the Wales squad, according to reports, with Wales representation having been at recent Owls matches. Shrewsbury-born, Fox has seven under-21 caps but is yet to be capped at full international level. He was last called up to the squad in 2015 by Chris Coleman.

Much of the criticism aimed at Fox in recent times has been at a perceived lack of threat going forward. That is less of an issue in Garry Monk’s vision than under previous Owls managers and while Liam Palmer’s opening day assist is the only one registered by a Wednesday full-back this season, it is Fox who has the more eye-catching offensive statistics.

He has more successful crosses than either of his rivals (five to their three each) and creates a chance more often, offering one up every 116 minutes to Palmer’s 151. Odubajo – brought into the club this summer by Steve Bruce as an offensive-minded wing-back – is marginally short of Fox’s record, producing a chance every 131 minutes.

That’s not to paint Fox’s last few games as faultless, of course.

On Saturday, Fox’s role in failing to defend Swansea’s opener left much to be desired and doubts remain in some quarters over his concentration and longevity. Speaking honestly earlier this month about the fact that his future at the club is ‘out of his hands’, he’s out of contract this summer.

If his wish is to stay put and stay a Sheffield Wednesday player, he’s doing a fine recovery job of pushing his case.