Garry Monk may have maintained that nothing is imminent regarding a proposed move for James Beattie, but according to The Star the Birmingham City coach will soon follow his former colleague to Sheffield Wednesday.
The Sun reported earlier this week that Beattie’s exit from St Andrew’s has accelerated his switch to Hillsborough – although it has yet to be confirmed by Birmingham – while another member of Monk’s Blues backroom team, Ryan Needs, has already headed north.
But what impact could the former Sheffield United striker – and scorer of 142 goals in English football – have on those at the top end of the Sheffield Wednesday side – namely Steven Fletcher, Atdhe Nuhiu, and Sam Winnall, or even Jordan Rhodes?
SWN takes a look at what those who have worked closely with Beattie have had to say about him, below.
Lukas Jutkiewicz – (Recorded his best-ever goalscoring campaign – 14 from 46 appearances for Birmingham – under Beattie in 2018/19)
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“Having a run of games certainly helped (improve his fortunes in front of goal),” he told The Birmingham Mail. “I feel like the way we’ve set up as a team plays to our strengths as a collective.
“People like James Beattie do a lot of work with us, that pays dividends. He was a top-quality striker and he’s been feeding us nuggets of information.”
Che Adams – (Recorded his best-ever goalscoring campaign – 22 from 48 appearances for Birmingham – under Beattie in 2018/19. Joined Southampton for £15 million)
“When a new gaffer walks in you have to prove to him what can do. I think I have waited my chance and proved myself to him,” he told The Birmingham Mail.
“I took a lot on board, from everyone, from the coaches. James Beattie has added a lot on and off the pitch, he has made me learn and realise everything – not just football, life itself. He’s very big on the psychological side.”
Chris Wood – (Recorded his best-ever goalscoring campaign – 30 from 48 appearances for Leeds – under Beattie in 2016-17. Joined Burnley for £15m)
“It’s good having him there, a striker that I watched playing and scoring goals through his whole career,” Wood told The Independent.
“It’s good having them to give me that extra support, those extra ideas, to take my game on a bit further.”
And what does Monk – who played with Beattie at Southampton, and hired him at Swansea, Middlesbrough, Leeds and Birmingham – think of the 41-year-old’s coaching ability?
“For sure he’s a big part of why they are doing so well – everyone contributes how it is set up,” he told The Birmingham Mail.
“Of course you would be silly not to use James’ experience as a striker, it’s great to have someone like James who can lend that to them (Jutkiewicz and Adams).
“I am sure they would tell you that themselves, he is lending that experience of a technique in certain areas, certain mentality you need to think about or ways to move yourself.
“There is individual or unit training which would be technical or designed for the strikers, then there’s the whole team training and their responsibility within that.
“It’s a process of how you train individuals then put it together collectively – that plan is always followed
“I am sure they get something out of everything they do and I think that clearly shows in their performances.
“Even when they weren’t scoring it wasn’t – we went in the next day and started talking about how to shoot a ball, we just carried on talking about what we are doing and building that.
“They happened to start getting the margins the right and the composure a little bit better and the goals have come for them.”