Who is Sheffield Wednesday target Jack Tucker? Everything you need to know on 22-year-old defender

The defender is coming up to the end of his long stint at the Priestfield Stadium, with his contract up at the end of June.

The Owls are on the lookout for new faces at the back after the release of Chey Dunkley and Sam Hutchinson and the returns of their loan cohort.

So who is Jack Tucker and what’s the story? Here’s everything you need to know.

Go on then, who is Jack Tucker?

A 22-year-old centre-half by specialism, Tucker has grown quite a reputation for himself at Gillingham, where he has quickly risen through the ranks.

A combative and competitive player, Tucker can play in the centre or on the right of a back three and has also been known to play in a holding midfield role on the odd occasion.

Wiry and predictably youthful by appearance, he’s a player that has attracted a lot of speculation in recent weeks as he approaches the end of his contract.

What’s his record like?

Having joined as a seven-year-old, Tucker has shown himself to be a Gillingham boy through and through and has won no fewer than four young player of the season awards since making his debut as a 16-year-old in October 2017.

He has experience belying his years and has has played 137 times for the Gills first team, 116 times in League One, from where Gillingham were relegated last season.

Tucker has been a near ever-present in the last couple of campaigns, missing only five league matches in that time.

Is he available and who is after him?

Oh, he’s available. Gillingham, now a League Two side, are resigned to losing him despite having tabled a new contract offer and Tucker is set to move on to pastures new.

Wednesday’s reported interest is not isolated, however, with a number of clubs seemingly ready to throw their hat into the ring.

Championship side Hull City are reportedly strong contenders, Portsmouth have ruled themselves out. But why would they do that?

Because the fact the Gills have offered their academy product a contract it means the club are due a compensation fee believed to be set at around £300,000.

That fee would dip lower should Tucker decide to move to a club outside of England – Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, anyone? – with Aberdeen reportedly keen.

What has his manager said?

No stranger to Wednesday fans, Gillingham manager Neil Harris has been honest about Tucker’s future since the end of the season.

The club have already parted ways with striker Vadaine Oliver, with 23-year-old defender Robbie MacKenzie set to move on in similar circumstances to Tucker.

“Jack is ongoing, I have been very clear and honest with everybody that he is likely to move on,” he said in a statement over the weekend.

“As much as I’d love to have him at the Football Club, realistically, we are not going to keep him even though we have made the contract offer.”