Star's historic honour shows Sheffield Wednesday have pulled off a special signing
Sheffield Wednesday’s on-loan Southampton starlet Shea Charles has already proven himself to be an exciting signing at S6 - and his latest honour highlights the fact.
At the ripe old age of just 21 years old, Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles has been chosen to captain his country for the very first time. The energetic midfielder, who has stood out as a remarkable loan signing since joining from Premier League Southampton in August, has played 12 times for the Owls and has formed a strong midfield partnership with Barry Bannan.
The former Manchester City youngster was selected for the Northern Ireland senior squad alongside his Owls goalkeeper brother Pierce for their UEFA Nations League matches at home to Belarus and in Luxembourg either side of the weekend. But now manager Michael O’Neill has confirmed Charles will take the armband for the Belfast battle with the Belarusians on Friday evening, in doing so following in the footsteps of legendary Wednesday defender Nigel Worthington.
O’Neill has rotated captaincy cuties in the Nations League campaign so far, with recent outings having seen Charles’ fellow young talents Tari Hume and Conor Bradley take on the role in recent outings. Charles, however, will become the youngest captain in the nation’s history.
Northern Ireland legend David Healy spoke last month to press forward Charles’ case for future captaincy. He said: "Since the moment Shea Charles has stepped on the field at Windsor Park you have seen quality so if the captaincy is going to be switched around I would say potentially Shea Charles. Strangely enough Paddy McNair is probably the most experienced player and he hasn't had it so maybe that's something Michael O'Neill will look at."
The latest step forward in Charles’ flourishing career will come as no shock to those who have watched Wednesday this season. A commanding presence in midfield, the youngster plays with a maturity beyond his years and has already tallied 17 caps at full international level. Owls boss Danny Röhl knew from the outset that the club had managed to secure a special signing.
"I'm very happy to get such a player to Sheffield Wednesday,” Röhl said at the time of his signing. “It's a huge step forward for us as a club... a lot of clubs wanted to have him and we got him. I know which clubs wanted him but we've got him and this is fantastic.
"He can carry the ball, he is smart, he understands the six position because he also played as a centre-back in the past which helps. He got promoted, he won the Champions League and has a lot of experience for a young age. You have to give him development time, which is my job. It's nice to have some young players and we have to help them.
"100% (it's exciting). He won't decide the game alone - he needs a group around him. To get such a player here shows in which direction we want to go. If we continue in this way with positive energy then we are on the right track."