Steve Bruce knows what it takes to win in the Championship, says Sheffield Wednesday caretaker boss Lee Bullen

Owls caretaker manager Lee Bullen has backed Steve Bruce for the vacant managerial job.
Happy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over PrestonHappy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over Preston
Happy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over Preston

The potential arrival of Bruce as boss dominated talk at Hillsborough as the Owls claimed a narrow home victory over Preston North End today thanks to a second half header by defender Michael Hector.

It was just Wednesday's second victory in 11 matches, with the victory coming a day after Jos Luhukay was sacked after 11 months in charge

Happy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over PrestonHappy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over Preston
Happy Owls caretaker boss Lee Bullen embraces Sam Hutchinson after their victory over Preston
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Bruce is believed to be on his way to Hillsborough - 20 years after starting his managerial career across the city at Sheffield United - as a replacement for Jos Luhukay who left yesterday,

Steve Agnew, Bruce's assistant, and coach Stephen Clemence were in the crowd at Hillsborough and Bruce appears set for a return to management two months after being sacked by Aston Villa.

Bullen said: "Whether or not it happens at this level I think you can only point at Steve Bruce or our good friend at Cardiff (Neil Warnock) that have just have an unbelievable record of success at this level.

"Steve will be hurting with the way things went at Aston Villa, absolutely, but if you get the opportunity to speak to someone like that - a British coach that knows the Championship inside out then you don't knock back the opportunity to speak to him. Whether anything comes of it I don't know.

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'For a manager of Steve's credentials, if you get the opportunity to talk to him, you don't knock it back. He's been there and done it."

Bullen admitted his dream would be to remain at Hillsborough and for the Owls to make a return to the Premier League.

But he added: "Let's see what the next 24 hours hold.

"They are really good football people and I have always had a really good relationship with these guys.

"Listen, hopefully they take away from it, if they have watched the last five-10 games, they'd probably think 'Geez, we are jumping into the frying pan' but hopefully they look at that today and think 'you know what there is a good team there that has been playing well below par'.

"If you play like that with the discipline they showed today for large spells of the game then it's not a bad job to potentially be going in for."