September 10, 2026 was a significant day for Harry Amass, which made it a significant day for Sheffield Wednesday too.
The Manchester United left-back made his Champions League debut at home to Sabah, playing his part in a 4-0 win.
Twelve months earlier he had been preparing for his Owls debut, at home to Bristol City in the Championship.
Had the Red Devils managed to sign another left-sided defender before September's transfer deadline, Amass might well be out on loan again now, instead of playing in the Champions League. But every stride forward the 19-year-old can make at Old Trafford is a feather in the cap for the work the Owls coaches did with him, and a n important selling point to the next loan player to mull over a move to Hillsborough.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Manchester United left-back Harry Amass (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)placeholder image
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Manchester United left-back Harry Amass (Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Although Amass had dipped his toe into first-team football by then, his Wednesday loan – the cost entirely covered by the Red Devils – was his first, and he took to it brilliantly. He made 21 starts, impressing so much that Norwich City stepped in to loan him in January.
A hamstring injury days after his debut made it impossible to assess the Canaries’ work with him.
Naturally, Wednesday would prefer to bring players through their own academy, and are doing so. Manchester City snapped up the best of recent years, Pierce Charles, in the summer and he is now making waves on loan at Queens Park Rangers; Gabriel Otegbayo remains and is making an impact. Other academy graduates will get the chance too.
But the loan market is important for League One clubs, giving them access to talent even at such a young age largely out of their range. Jayden Heskey is back for another loan from Manchester City, Liverpool have leant Kieran Morrison, and Harry Gray has come from Leeds United.
EDUCATIONAL VISIT: Harry Gray is on loan from Leeds United (Image: Steve Ellis)placeholder image
EDUCATIONAL VISIT: Harry Gray is on loan from Leeds United (Image: Steve Ellis)
In each case, their parent clubs could have easily planted them elsewhere, so being able to highlight their part in Amass' development is important.
"We always try to do the best we can to make a serious plan for each loan player," says manager Henrik Pedersen, whose background as Red Bull's head of youth development does no harm either.
"We have a big clarity with the (parent) club, we have a big clarity with the player, with the agent, so we have a clear plan for the development of the players.
"Liverpool recently came to visit us, and the different clubs will visit us, and then we will evaluate with each (loan) player how was the game, how is the week planned for them, how is the individual training, how is the individual profiling, how is the feedback they get?
YOUTHFUL FOCUS: Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen (Image: Steve Ellis)placeholder image
YOUTHFUL FOCUS: Sheffield Wednesday manager Henrik Pedersen (Image: Steve Ellis)
"Then we'll make the next step together.
"We align what's happened with each of the loan players.
"A lot of the work (with the club) is before they sign, to get an alignment for what they are expecting, what we are expecting, what the players are expecting. We need to have this alignment before we sign."
Being a club the best young players, both in South Yorkshire and further afield, want to join is a big part of the blueprint to rebuild Sheffield Wednesday after the dark days of Dejphon Chansiri.
Local youngsters will want to see they are getting the best level of coaching in their academy; clubs looking to loan players for first-team experience will want to know they are being taught good habits. Having them play in front of the division's biggest attendances is appealing too.
But being someone else's finishing school has its pitfalls.
Wins are no less important to supporters in League One than the Premier League and even going into the international break second to Bradford City – the only team to have beaten them in the league thus far – has not stopped the pressure after Wednesday failed to score in four of their first six home games in all competitions. They were booed off after Saturday’s 0-0 with Stockport County.
Richer clubs would not need to test their players in that environment if they knew the outcome.
"We all know that there is a reason why they are on loan, it's young players and they need experience," commented Pedersen. "We also know if it's a first loan, a first loan is just not one way up, it has a lot of bumps, and how do we as a club handle all the bumps for a loan player?
"We not only take care of the football player, but also the human behind the football player.
"And we have continual conversations with the clubs and follow-ups."
And every time Pedersen hears of a success for Amass, or any of the other young players he has helped polish before moving on, it makes him smile.
"I'm really pleased they're doing well, and I try to follow them," he says. "But I also have to be honest, I have a lot to do so I cannot see all the games every week for all our former players.
"Of course I try to follow what I can."