The lonely fortnight Darren Moore believes has changed the season for Josh Windass – and Sheffield Wednesday

Few could have. Windass, on a lean spell with one goal contribution in 14 and showing a dip in confidence in terms of his output in an attacking unit that had failed to score twice in the league match for nearly two months, cut a frustrated figure.

He’d play only four minutes of football in the next two weeks – a late, late sub in a win at Fleetwood and unused entirely in the win over Port Vale.

It was a bold call by Owls boss Darren Moore, who with a then-misfiring side knows better than anyone the ‘something from nothing’ capabilities the now 29-year-old can provide.

Mid-January is a very different place to mid-December for Windass – who can surely now be described as being in the form of his life. A hat-trick against Cambridge was followed up by a classy match-winning double against Premier League Newcastle.

With 11 goals and four assists across all competitions, he’s the Owls’ most prolific source of goals again.

Asked whether the brief spell on the sidelines has put a renewed fire in the belly of the former Rangers man.

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“I think we’d all agree he has done,” Moore told The Star in the minutes after Windass’ remarkable Magpie-slaying performance took him to five goals in two.

“It was a very big decision to make to take him out of the team but I think it gave him a good respite in terms of him being able to look at the game from a different angle.

“He’s come back in and he has got the fire and energy in his belly that we wanted him to have. We’re so pleased with that.

“He took his goals so well and we’ve seen a different Josh Windass since he’s been back. It’s given him that hunger and desire that we all know he’s got.

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“We know the player that he is and we’ve seen that in the last few games. He’s been excellent.”