Former Sheffield Wednesday defender turned pundit, Carlton Palmer, has discussed his ‘surprise’ no new deal has been sorted for Josh Windass, according to Football League World.
Palmer played 205 games for Sheffield Wednesday and has 18 England caps to his name. Now a pundit, Palmer has been critical of Dejphon Chansiri’s running of the club in recent years. This criticism of Chansiri led to the Sheffield Wednesday owner to hit back at Palmer.
Not one to hide his opinion, Palmer has made his surprise that the Owls haven’t yet got Windass to sign a new deal known. He did highlight the injuries Windass has had during his time at Sheffield Wednesday as an issue. But with reported interest from Hull City and Coventry City, he’s urged the Owls to get the new deal sorted.
Speaking to Football League World, he said:
“It is reported that Hull and Coventry have joined the race to sign Windass from Sheffield Wednesday.
“He’s out of contract with the Owls at the end of next month, and no deal has been put in place for him to remain at Hillsborough.
“I’m a little bit surprised about this, just because we have heard the news about Liam Palmer and Barry Bannan extending their contracts for another year.
“I would think the sticking point for Sheffield Wednesday would be that Josh is now 30. Obviously, the problems will be the length of contract and the amount of money he’s looking for.
“The fact that, over the course of his career, he has basically averaged around 23 games a season – which would be a concern about giving him longer than a year.
“I’m a big admirer of Windass. I think the last couple of seasons it’s been proven that the team struggles when he’s not available.
“He came back towards the end of last season and that coincided with Sheffield Wednesday’s results picking up, seeing them survive in the Championship.
“The year before, in League One, he missed a large part of the season. I think he played 30-odd games but still missed a huge chunk of the season, but then came back towards the end to help get promotion.
“That’s how I would do it at Sheffield Wednesday. I would be looking to keep Windass. He’s a quality player.
How did Windass do this season for Sheffield Wednesday?
Windass struggled at the start of the season, reflective of the poor start the Owls made when they failed to win in 13 games and picked up just three points.
Under Danny Rohl, both the team and Windass improved. Windass fit perfectly into the pressing and possession game Rohl brought to the Owls. Unfortunately, Windass suffered from injury issues that first kept him out for four games and then 11 games after rushing his return.
Windass returned to action in April’s 2-0 win away at QPR, a result that was a catalyst for their fine end to the season. He played the final six games for the Owls as they went unbeaten and crucially beat the drop. Windass also chipped in with a goal in each of the last three games.
In total, Windass played 25 Championship games, scoring six and picking up two assists. His average WhoScored rating of 6.70 was only beaten by Will Vaulks, Ike Ugbo, and Marvin Johnson.
Could the Owls keep hold of Windass?
Where Windass will be next season is anybody’s guess. However, Sheffield Wednesday fans will take great optimism from his past comments about Rohl.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Windass described Rohl as “probably the best manager he’s ever worked with.” With Rohl recently signing a new deal at Hillsborough, some Wednesday fans are suggesting that could be a big pull factor in getting Windass to sign a new deal.
Sheffield Wednesday ended the season in fine form under Rohl. They became the first team to stay up after not winning a game in their opening 13 games.
With Rohl here next season, there’s quiet optimism around Hillsborough about what the future could hold. That could persuade Windass to extend his stay at the Owls.
Who else is interested in Windass?
With Windass nearing the end of his contract and no new deal to be sorted, Football Insider reported that Coventry City and Hull City were keen on Windass.
If Windass was to leave for Hull City, he’d be following in the footsteps of his father, Dean Windass. Dean played 71 games for Hull City and famously scored the Championship play-off winner for Hull City in 2008. It would be a fitting move that the majority of Hull City fans would welcome.