Sheffield Wednesday's 'duty of care' as unfortunate players prepare for Owls exit

Players in the U21s won’t have their contracts renewed, some of the U18s won’t be offered professional deals, and below them there will be youngsters who aren’t offered scholarships to take the next step on the ladder to pro game - it’s the sad reality of the game that they’re in.

It won’t all be bad news of course, plenty of young talents will see their dream stay alive for at least another year, but the discussions with those moving on are the hardest. For Wednesday, though, they say they want to see as many as possible end up playing at some level.

Andy Holdsworth, the manager of the U21s, spoke of the ‘duty of care’ that the club feel towards their youngsters, telling The Star, “It is a tough time of the year... Whichever level you’re at, whether it’s the U16s getting scholarships, U18s getting their first professional contracts, or the older ones taking their next step, it’s always tough.

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“We always try to make the right decision for the player at the right time, and if we feel that it’s not for them here and they need to go and play men’s football to forge a career in the game then we want to try and get the player in professional football - whether that be National League, League Two or League One. We have a duty of care for the player."

Those conversations are believed to be taking place as things stand, with the club set to announce the decisions once they’ve all been finalised.