Exclusive:Sheffield Wednesday considering former Stoke City and Brentford man Andy Quy as vital new addition
Attempts to form a new senior coaching team at Sheffield Wednesday are well underway as the Owls seek to play catch-up on Henrik Pedersen’s reign as manager.
Pedersen aside, the entirety of Danny Röhl’s backroom staff moved on at the end of their contracts earlier in the summer. Sascha Lense and Chris Powell left with Neil Thompson electing to take some time out after a distinguished 14-year stint with the club. Goalkeeping coach Sal Bibbo has since joined Rangers.
In an uncertain summer, that left the first team with holes to plug. The likes of Andy Holdsworth, Giles Coke and goalkeeping specialist Ben Ledger have stepped up from roles within the academy to big praise from Pedersen, who has publicly stated his hope of getting some new coaches through the door sooner rather than later. Some of the existing staff may stay on with the seniors but new additions are being sought.
The Star understands that one figure considered for the role of goalkeeping coach is Andy Quy, a well-respected 49-year-old coach who last worked at Huddersfield Town before leaving in March with the departure of Michael Duff. Should he prove to be the successful candidate, he’ll be tasked with overseeing the continued development of starlet stopper Pierce Charles as well as youngsters Logan Stretch, Killian Barrett and Jack Phillips. It remains to be seen if Wednesday are seeking to strengthen the keeping department.
Quy has a long and broad CV that has taken in roles on senior staff with Lincoln City, Brentford, Burton Albion and MLS side Charlotte FC. Having graduated through roles in the academy set-ups at Aston Villa and Derby County, his most notable stint was with Stoke City, where he spent 12 years working beneath the likes of Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes and presiding over goalkeepers of international standing including Thomas Sørensen, Asmir Begovic and Jack Butland.
He also played a role in the development of Arsenal and Spain stopper David Raya during their time under Thomas Frank at Brentford.
Speaking to The Star last week, Pedersen outlined his plans for a new coaching set-up and made clear his intention to integrate some of the existing staff with new faces.
“I can bring people in and I will bring people in,” he said. “We have had great support from the academy; Andy, Giles, Ben. But of course I will bring new staff in. We need to be top in this area because we are the mirror for the players to inspire and to bring them to the next level.
“For me, at the same time, it is important to show that the door is open to the first team. So it will be a mix of Sheffield Wednesday coaches and new coaches from the outside.”