What ‘chirpy’ Josh Windass is like behind the scenes at Sheffield Wednesday as he enters eight-man post-Hirst pantheon

His goal in Saturday’s win over MK Dons was his 10th of the league season – his 14th in all competitions – and was sat proudly alongside seven league assists, making him the club’s most prolific contributor of goals in the campaign.

The tally puts him in an eight-man post-Hirst pantheon of players to have achieved double-figure goals in separate seasons in the near three decades since he and Bright left the club; alongside Gerald Sibon, Steven MacLean, Marcus Tudgay, Fernando Forestieri, Gary Hooper, Atdhe Nuhiu and Steven Fletcher.

Six more goals this season would make him only the fourth Wednesday player to reach 20 this century.

Windass has been earning widespread praise for his form particularly since the new year and that form earned him the PFA League One player of the month award, which has been sat proudly above his space in the changing room since it was handed over last week.

“He’s got award sat above his place in the changing room, so we have to look at that every morning,” grinned his teammate Cameron Dawson.

“He’s been fantastic, his goal scoring and assisting record has been fantastic, and his form particularly since the Newcastle game has been great. He’s been affecting games and that’s what you want from your attacking players. He provides goals, he’s been brilliant and he deserves that award.

“Hopefully he can continue that good form.”

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It is a source of bemusement to some that Windass doesn’t seem to have a Wednesday terrace chant and that he hasn’t quite achieved the hero status among the fan base that numbers such as his would otherwise warrant – the two double-figure goal hauls have come either side of a season wiped out by injury and in terms of goals and assists his contribution measures out at almost one every other game.

Some put that down to his decision in the past not to celebrate big goals, something he laughed off when asked about it earlier this month.

And despite a public and social media persona some might describe as ‘too cool for school’, behind the scenes Windass is a committed, tee-total professional who is popular in the changing room and hell-bent on winning.

“He celebrated the other day! I think he needed to claim one of the goals so he decided to celebrate!

“Josh is a great lad. He’s chirpy, he’s loud and you normally hear him before you see him. He has his quiet days.

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“He works incredibly hard and he’s a great professional, a really top professional and he always puts it in in training. He works very hard.

“Yes, when he’s scoring a lot of goals we all have to hear about it but that’s fine! Look, he’s obviously a top player and if we can keep him in good form that’s obviously what we all want.”