Tony Pulis makes first Sheffield Wednesday addition as Craig Gardner joins Owls coaching staff

New Sheffield Wednesday boss Tony Pulis has brought in his first new face at Sheffield Wednesday, with the addition of his former player Craig Gardner to his coaching staff.
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Gardner, 33, joins having left Birmingham City this week and is expected to join the first team staff. He has enjoyed a whirlwind coaching career so far, retiring from playing to take up a position as a first-team coach at St Andrews and stepping in as co-caretaker manager after the departure of Pep Clotet in July.

Asked about Gardner, Pulis said: “Craig is someone I have a great respect for, he’s a top quality character, a young coach, enthusiastic. You ask him to do stuff and I’m sure he’ll do it.

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“And that’s the way I am. I like to have a mixture of people around me. You test them and they come back with stuff that tests you.”

Gardner, a former England under-21 international who played under the new Owls boss at West Brom in a successful playing career, is unlikely to be the last new coach through the door.

“I always like to bring one young coach with me,” Pulis said. “I always like to bring a coach at the football club that has worked on the academy side.

“Because I think it’s important that there’s someone there who knows the academy, the best players at the academy, who know how the academy is set up.

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“I think the link between the first team and the academy is important. Neil [Thompson] has joined in today and has been a part of that.”

Craig Gardner has joined his former manager Tony Pulis at Sheffield Wednesday.Craig Gardner has joined his former manager Tony Pulis at Sheffield Wednesday.
Craig Gardner has joined his former manager Tony Pulis at Sheffield Wednesday.

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