A new Sheffield Wednesday teenager is looking to follow in the footsteps of Bailey Cadamarteri, and he could soon be given his chance to impress.
Danny Rohl immediately spoke about his desire to bridge the gap between the youth teams and the first-team following his Sheffield Wednesday appointment.
And he’s since delivered on that, bringing Bailey Cadamarteri into the side and quickly unearthing a new gem.
Since, Rohl has suggested that another Wednesday teen in Sam Reed could soon make the step up into the first-team, with another, Joey Phuthi, now potentially working his way into the thinking.
Ahead of last night’s 3-1 defeat at Norwich City, Joe Crann revealed that the 18-year-old had travelled with the squad to Carrow Road, though he wasn’t named in the team.
Who is Joey Phuthi?
Phuthi joined Sheffield Wednesday at the age of 12 and has since risen through the ranks at Hillsborough, signing his first professional deal with the club back in August of this year.
The right-sided winger originally hails from Zimbabwe and is described as ‘exciting player’ who ‘gets you off your seat’ by academy boss Steve Haslam.
Haslam says Phuthi’s best traits are his agility and his ability to go past opposition players.
Could he be a Sheffield Wednesday starter in 2024?
Phuthi certainly seems to be edging his way towards a first-team debut.
He was involved in pre-season and has been biding his time since, but with the youngster in the squad that travelled down to Norwich, it tells us that he’s certainly in Rohl’s thinking right now.
He seems like a player with similar attributes to Antony Musaba.
The Dutchman had a good game last night and he’s clearly a type of payer that Rohl fancies; his pace and agility makes him ideal for the high press and this could mean that Phuthi is another name who fits Rohl’s style of play.
And being so young, Rohl has the chance to mould him unto exactly the kind of player that he wants in his first-team, so for Phuthi, right now is a good time to come into first-team contention.
Given Sheffield Wednesday’s ongoing struggles near the foot of the table, right now may not be the best time for Phuthi to make his debut; having said that, Cadamarteri made his debut during this tough run, so Rohl may well throw Phuthi in at the deep end.
Up next for the Owls is a home game vs QPR this weekend.