Fresh comments from former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Shea Charles have served as a cold and painful reminder of the opportunities the club’s financial failures will deprive themselves of.
The Southampton midfielder returned to training with his parent club after a stunning loan campaign at Hillsborough in which he earned the Owls player of the year award. Charles played in every league game during the season-long loan and grew throughout his stint, which was punctuated with an ultimately expensive re-signing after he was briefly re-called by the Saints in January.
Aged just 21, Manchester City academy graduate Charles provided the Wednesday midfield with quality few would argue is destined for the Premier League with or without his parent club. Manager Danny Röhl spoke at the time of his late-August signing that he could provide game-changing talent and so it proved, with the Owls having beaten a host of clubs to his signature in no small part due to the influence and talent of the club’s highly-rated - and departed - coaching staff.
Speaking to Southampton club media on his return to their pre-season, Charles said: “Going there the plan was to play games at Championship level with a good coaching staff, a good manager and good players around me with a lot of experience.
“I felt it went better than I could have even imagined. I played every game and the players around me helped me in every game. I got better and I could feel it towards the end. Every game I felt like I was into the games more. It was very good.”
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Steve Ellis
Röhl remains in technicality only having not returned for pre-season and Wednesday are in crisis, with financial issues having made chaos of their pre-season preparations. But beyond the difficulties their current malaise could no doubt deliver in attracting sought-after young players, the Charles deal is the type of which the Owls will struggle to even launch, with transfer restrictions loaded onto their recruitment preventing any fee for loan players.
The Northern Ireland star was understood to be the subject of a considerable outlay by Wednesday both in terms of an up-front fee and a large wage contribution. These terms were believed to have been heavily increased on his re-signing.
Loan fees are commonplace in modern football, particularly when it comes to Premier League youngsters. Along with the signing of James Beadle, who was also brought in on terms raised from the deal that brought him to S6 the previous season, the parameters of their transfer restrictions will make it difficult for Wednesday to replicate those deals even if and when they find themselves in a position to start adding to their squad.
Speaking to The Star at the time the club’s imminent breaching of the EFL’s 30-day rule became public back in April, owner Dejphon Chansiri claimed adequate business could still be done if the club was placed under three-window restrictions.
He said: “You can see even Reading for example, they have had a problem with embargos but they could get promoted. Sometimes I do not understand the mindset that outside of buying players it is not good. Actually; buy, loan or free, it doesn't matter. It matters that a player fits to your squad or not. It doesn't mean free or loan is always cheaper than to buy, sometimes they are more expensive.
"Of course, some players we maybe need to sell, but whatever happens must happen. Even if we get an embargo, it does not mean we cannot bring in players. You may say we could only bring lesser players but it depends on the way we recruit. Of course it would not be good as if you're not under embargo, but it's not going to be the last day of your life.”
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