Why Sheffield Wednesday changed their mind and brought Michael Hector back to Sheffield

The 30-year-old Jamaican international is a former Player of the Season at Hillsborough, where he impressed during a loan spell in 2018/19, and some fans have been hoping for him to return ever since he became a free agent over the summer.

Moore previously said that the former Chelsea defender wasn’t somebody they were considering, going as far as to say that they weren’t really looking at the free agent market at all, so the news that he was back at Middlewood Road this week came as a surprise to many.

The Star broke the news on Friday morning that the Owls were considering the centre back, and Moore suggests that his quality, and the right opportunity, has been the main reason for their U-turn.

When asked why they were now looking at Hector, Moore told The Star, “The level that he’s been at, the player that he is, and the opportunity that has arisen. It’s a position we’re looking at and I have said it will only be players that we think could be of value to us at the club – and Michael is that.

“It’s very early stages of seeing where those fitness levels are, and his strength and conditioning. Once you get those, you get that rapport and an insight and you can make that decision.

“My views don’t change on when you get players in on a free transfer at this stage there’s a certain window where you have to get them up to speed, and that can be the same with loans from another club. They can have the training volume, but they need to get up to match speed.

“We’ll focus on this one, and we’ll make sure that we tick all the boxes before the next stage.”

Hector has spent time training with both Luton Town and Reading since leaving Fulham last year, however he hasn’t played a competitive fixture in almost nine months after falling out of favour at his old club.

Moore says he’ll give him time at S6 to show what he’s capable of, however suggested that there is no rush to make a decision.

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