Sheffield Wednesday's Kadeem Harris ready to make leadership step-up this season

The flying winger, who was one of the Owls’ best performers in his debut season, is now 27 and while the tag of elder statesman is still a fair few years away, he knows his role in an increasingly inexperienced changing room is evolving.

Speaking to The Star ahead of the start of their season on Saturday, Harris said he would draw on the experiences he had coming through as a teenager to help the likes of Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alex Hunt along.

Aged 16 years and 201 days, he became the youngest-ever Wycombe player back in 2009, earning a move to Cardiff City before falling foul of fitness and form. Having worked his way up to the Premier League, he joined Wednesday on a free transfer last summer with a point to prove.

“I've been through quite a bit in my career, whether it be through injuries or being out of the team,” he said. “I feel like I've experienced quite a lot.

“I think my knowledge now is important for these younger players coming up and that's something I'm trying to enforce in this team. I want to be able to give those players the confidence whether they're playing and doing well or not really playing or going through hard times. I want to bring them my experience and add that to the team.

“It's important I do that this season, we've got quite a young team and people like me are as important as ever.”

A raft of very experienced pros have left Wednesday in the last few weeks as Garry Monk attempts to shift the squad to a ‘younger, hungrier’ ideal.

Vocal personalities such as Sam Hutchinson and Steven Fletcher are now elsewhere and though new boy Chey Dunkley has been identified as a player with tested leadership qualities, it may well be up to the likes of Harris to take a more prominent role in that regard.

Owls stalwart Barry Bannan has been named as the club’s new captain with Tom Lees stepping aside. There has of yet been no official announcement over who the club’s vice-captain will be.

Rookie midfielder Dele-Bashiru is a player likely to be handed opportunities this season alongside the likes of Hunt, Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide. And Harris said that if he can help them in any way – alongside some of his teammates – he will.

He said: “As a youngster you want that opportunity to break into the first team and they're getting that opportunity now, to impress in training and show what they're capable of doing and to learn from the likes of myself, Barry Bannan, Tom Lees; we're experienced players.

“Hopefully they can not just bring potential to the table but more than that and offer this team some quality going forward. I think they can do that, for sure.”

MORE FROM OUR WEDNESDAY WRITING TEAM

Sheffield Wednesday open up talks with ex-Everton attacker Korede Adedoyin

The latest on Sheffield Wednesday's pursuit of Josh Windass

Aside from up top.. what other positions do Sheffield Wednesday need to strengthen?

Thank you to all who support local journalism with a digital or print subscription to The Star. The events of 2020 mean trusted, local journalism is more reliant than ever on your support. We couldn't do it without you. Subscribe here www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions so we can keep campaigning on your behalf. Stay safe.