Exciting Sheffield Wednesday talent signs contract in welcome bit of good news

The 16-year-old, who has worked his way up the youth ranks at Middlewood Road, is incredibly highly rated at the club, and formed a devastating partnership with Caelan-Kole Cadamarteri as part of the U18s this season.

Grainger scored 14 times, assisting many more, as Andy Sharp’s men secured a top-two finish in the Professional Development League, however they weren’t able to make it to the play-off final after being beaten by Bristol City in the semi-final.

There had been some concern over the future of the talented teenager given his exploits at international youth level football for Wales and the growing interest in him from other clubs, however it’s now understood that he’s officially put pen to paper on his scholarship at Hillsborough ahead of the 2025/26 season.

Will Grainger has signed his Owls scholarship

So impressive has his development been that the attacker even got the chance to spend some time with the seniors at Middlewood Road under Danny Röhl, and with the ongoing financial debacle at Wednesday there may be a chance that he forms part of the first team’s preseason ahead of the new campaign.

Speaking about the step up, Sharp recently told All Wednesday about how difficult it can be - however Grainger, and Cadamarteri, were able to navigate things well as they played above their age group in the year just gone.

“The situation we’ve had, with some U15s involved with us, one or two, and you see the difference,” he told the show. “It’s tough for them. The biggest and most obvious challenge is the physical difference - depending on when their birthdays fall, some of those lads are three years older! It makes a big difference.

“It’s challenging for a number of reasons, though, it’s not just physically. Those boys are in school, so they’re trying to manage that. So some boys are in with us full-time on their apprenticeship, and others who are juggling school, exams, and those kinds of pressures... It’s only when you work in it you become mindful of it.”

Grainger is expected to be a big part of things at youth level this coming season, but after being given a taste of U21 football last time out it remains to be seen exactly which age group he’ll be spending the most time with.

Watch every episode of All Wednesday with Joe Crann - interviews, opinion and insight on the Owls every week, on demand on Shots TV here