Sheffield Wednesday star Josh Windass has been coming in for some criticism after he questioned the ability of Owls academy player Joey Phuthi on a recent podcast interview.
The 31-year-old was speaking in an interview with Open Goal when he mentioned a conversation he had with the 20-year-old in which he suggested Phuthi, who was recently released on Wednesday, claimed ‘Messi doesn’t run’ when asked to discuss his running stats.
Windass not only used an expletive to characterize his skills, but also referred to him as ‘the worst player ever’, as the veteran forward was unflinching in his assessment of the Zimbabwe international’s ability and attitude.
Fans respond to Josh Windass, Joey Phuthi outburst
Windass’ words quickly went viral after an X user named Ben cut the 27-second piece in question.
It’s fair to say that his comments about Phuthi elicited varied reactions from Owls fans, with some condemning the 13-goal Wednesday forward for his choice of words, while others defended him for expressing his mind.
One fan commented, “Honestly, I don’t mind this at all! The senior players are there to keep the kids grounded! Josh has a point, too; the lad was just discharged.”
Another stated, “I believe the issue with Josh is not the matter or the things he says, but how he says them. There was no need to name the lad and throw him under the bus, yet he couldn’t say it any other way. If Bannan is telling this story, the wording is radically different.”
“I don’t see any difficulty here. We’ve all played football, right? We’ve all had opinions, right? “Do we want sterile robots or personality? You can’t have both,” another Owls fan commented.
One Wednesday admirer simply wrote, “Great role model.”
Someone more posted: “He’s so arrogant it’s unreal you would’ve thought he was the best player in the world with his arrogance.”
“Bang out of order, was Windass the complete footballer at 17.” remarked one supporter.
“What arrogance from Windass; he’s not really himself. “Get him out!” another wrote.
Joey Phuthi has responded to Josh Windass’ comments about him
Following Windass’ comments about his ability and work ethic, Phuthi has responded to a viral interview with his former Sheffield Wednesday teammate.
On May 21, Phuthi sent a lengthy statement to his X account, saying: “It’s frustrating to be called out by Josh Windass during what’s already been a very difficult period for me.
“Not being offered a new contract at Sheffield Wednesday has been difficult to absorb, and the last thing I anticipated was to be pulled into something like this.
| Joey Phuthi’s Sheffield Wednesday career stats – per Transfermarkt | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team | Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| Sheffield Wednesday U18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 300 |
“To clarify, the conversation has been completely spun out of context. Windass asked me to name a player who does not run more than 10 kilometers in a game, and I responded honestly – it wasn’t personal, nor was it intended to be disrespectful.
“It’s disheartening to see things blown out of proportion when emotions are already high. I’ve always tried to be honest and respectful, both on and off the pitch.
“All I want now is to move forward and focus on the next chapter of my career.”
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