"We're used to it" - how Joe Wildsmith reacted to Tony Pulis' Keiren Westwood recall at Sheffield Wednesday

And it’s one that has been complicated further still in the past week by the continued form of Joe Wildsmith.

Tony Pulis was clear in his opening press conference that Keiren Westwood was his man, describing him as one of the best stoppers in the division and instantly recalling him after a year out of action.

Since Westwood was injured in the opening minutes of last week’s draw at Swansea, it is previous incumbent Wildsmith who has stepped in between the sticks, keeping his third successive clean sheet against Stoke and producing a man of the match display in their draw with Reading.

Wildsmith, 24, has seen the sudden recall as an opportunity to earn his place.

“I am where I am in the sense that Westy has been brought back and that’s the decision that has been made,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about that.

“I have to keep my head right because you never know when an opportunity is going to come, as we saw at Swansea.

“To come in and play well, I was proud of that. It’s tough to come in as a goalkeeper off the bench.

“It’s great to be back playing now. How long that is, who knows? But I’m just trying to stake a claim for that shirt. Hopefully I’ll play as many games as possible now. I want to help the team get out of this fight and move forward.”

It’s not the first time the goalkeeping trio have been pitted against one another. It’s been over three seasons during which an Owls keeper has failed to play more than 20 games and where some may see instability, Wildsmith sees competition.

“We’ve been used to it for five or six years now, the three of us.” he said. “One minute we’re in, one minute we’re out.

“We all know the situation we’re in, we all know there is a good standard of goalkeeper at the club and that only one of us can play. We relish the competition.

“Westy is back now and it’s good competition, it’s all done in the right way. It’s good to have that person breathing down your neck. It keeps you on your toes.”

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