Sheffield Wednesday: Two titles, fast feet and personal tragedy – who is Owls target Mallik Wilks?

The youngster knows Yorkshire football pretty well, his attributes seem to fit the profile of what Darren Moore likes in a player and he would go some way to filling the void left by Saido Berahino as a goal-getter in the Owls squad.

A handful of Championship clubs including Birmingham City and Middlesbrough are also linked with Wilks, so this won’t be an easy one to pull off even before you get to the transfer negotiations.

But who is the former Leeds United starlet? Let’s take a look.

Who is Mallik Wilks?

Aged just 23, Wilks has already played for four Yorkshire clubs.

He started out at Leeds United, where he was a very highly rated young player who made his debut just a few days after his 18th birthday.

There were loan stints aplenty as the Elland Road club sought to develop him to Accrington Stanley, Grimsby and Doncaster Rovers – his time at Doncaster didn’t quite overlap with that of Darren Moore.

A short-lived move to Barnsley followed before he was sent on loan to Hull and excelled.

But after a frustrating season last time out in which injuries played their part in him playing only 20 Championship matches, he’s been linked to a move to a few clubs.

What sort of player is he?

Originally an out-and-out striker when coming through the ranks, Wilks was pushed out wide during his time under Grant McCann at Doncaster and found joy cutting in from the left wing.

Fast, tricky and with an eye for goal, that versatility has stayed with him. He has a touch of physicality Moore appears to prefer in his strikers.

His two biggest seasons in front of goal – a 14-goal effort with Donny in 2018/19 and a 19-goal campaign with Hull in 2020/21 – have come in League One.

What’s he done so far?

Impressively for a player of such a young age, Wilks has two promotions on his CV already - sort of.

Having spent the first half of the 2017/18 season on loan at Accrington Stanley from Leeds, the Lancashire side went on to win League Two and he received a winners medal despite his return to Elland Road in the January.

He proved a hugely popular figure in his season on loan at Doncaster Rovers the following year, scoring 14 goals in his 46 matches, and winning a fan-voted player of the year award for his efforts along the way.

His true sit-up-and-watch campaign came in 2020/21, however, when his 19 League One goals helped propel Hull City to the third tier title.

What’s this about a difficult time personally?

It’s not all been easy for Wilks, who has seen immense personal tragedy in his young life.

Just three days before he made his senior debut for Leeds – under former Owls manager Garry Monk – back in January 2017, his brother was 19-year-old brother Raheem was shot dead in what was described as a ‘targeted’ shooting. Three men were jailed for his murder in November that year.

Wilks has been praised for his handling of such a difficult situation and has built an impressive young career.