Agent life, Qatar, punditry: What Sheffield Wednesday team that beat Brighton are doing now.
Nine years is a long time in football, particularly at Sheffield Wednesday.
That time has passed since the Owls blew the roof off Hillsborough with a 2-0 Championship play-off semi-final victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, sending them ‘on their way’. Ross Wallace and Kieran Lee scored goals in the home leg, and Carloc Carvalhal’s men finished the job down south. Then it was Hull City at Wembley. Alas.
The team from that night reads like a roster of Wednesday modern-day heroes, each of whom has gone on to have interesting post-Owls careers. Only Barry Bannan remains on S6. Here’s what happened to the 11 players who beat Brighton, as well as the three substitutes who came off the bench.
1. Kieren Westwood
Keiren Westwood played for Sheffield Wednesday for seven years before leaving in 2021 after making 199 appearances. He was widely regarded as the best custodian in the EFL during Wednesday’s back-to-back play-off campaigns. Following his time at Hillsborough, he briefly worked at QPR before being signed by Crewe Alexandra during an injury crisis. He is now involved in a coaching school and other business ventures. | Stu Forster/Getty Images
2. Jack Hunt
The popular wing-back left Wednesday for Bristol City in 2018, only to return ‘home’ three years later in a free transfer. He’d have his own taste of play-off glory with the Owls in 2023, scoring the game-winning penalty in the Miracle of Hillsborough before his second S6 exit. He has since been with Bristol Rovers and is now a free agent once more. | Getty Images.
3. Tom Lees
After defensive partner Loovens left, he took over the captaincy of the Owls, which he lost when Garry Monk handed it to Barry Bannan. He left the club with a number of senior players in 2021 to join Huddersfield Town, where he played 155 games before being released last week.
4) Glenn Loovens
Skipper Loovens, another hugely popular member of this squad, left on Wednesday, 2018. A brief spell with Sunderland followed before retiring in 2019. Has since worked as a scout for former club Celtic before entering the world of football agency.
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