Michael Smith is now into the final year of his contract with Sheffield Wednesday, but that situation will be resolved one way or another in the next few months, it seems.
In just over two years since he signed for Sheffield Wednesday, it’s safe to say Michael Smith has created some fine memories for Owls fans.
From the stunning goal against Portsmouth to his crucial penalty against Peterborough in the League One play-offs, Michael Smith’s goals have been hugely important for Sheffield Wednesday.
He’s not having a bad season this year, either, with three goals to his name already. But, how long the striker will stay at Hillsborough remains to be seen.
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Michael Smith has spoken to Danny Rohl about new contract
A decision on Smith’s future in S6 is yet to be made, and it seems the player himself still doesn’t know whether he will be retained or released at the end of the season.
Speaking to The Star, though, the Wednesday target man insisted he and the club have not really had much time to think about that situation, and it doesn’t appear to be distracting him from the task at hand this term.
“It’s tough, especially with a young family, but as a footballer I think all you can do is concentrate on what you can control — and that’s coming in every day and working hard, and doing everything right on your end,” Smith said.
“I’ve always felt that if you do that then everything else will take care of itself, whether that’s getting a new contract or moving on elsewhere. I know if I can control what I can then I’ll be alright at the end of the day,” he added.
However, Smith did reveal “a few conversations” have taken place between himself and Danny Rohl about the matter, but the hectic fixture list has seen his contract talk get “pushed to the side.”
Now, Smith is playing the waiting game, but by the sounds of it, he’s just happy enough to be fighting for the cause and accepts that a decision will arrive at some point down the line.
Sheffield Wednesday should retain Michael Smith
Interestingly, Smith is one of four key Sheffield Wednesday players heading towards the end of their contracts this season.
If you’re looking at Smith’s situation on merit alone, it would seem he has done enough to warrant a new deal already, not just because of his goal contributions but down to his overall play when he’s leading the line.
The problem is, Rohl isn’t using Michael Smith nearly enough this season, and seems to prefer starting Ike Ugbo, despite the latter’s confidence issues and failure to score in the league so far.
| Statistic | Michael Smith (2024/25) | Ike Ugbo (2024/25) |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 17 | 17 |
| Minutes played | 635 | 787 |
| Goals | 3 | 1 |
| Shots on target % | 44.4 | 36.4 |
| Shot-creating actions per 90 | 3.25 | 1.53 |
It will be fascinating to see whether Rohl replaces Ugbo with Smith for the game against Cardiff City this weekend, and that will tell us a lot about where Smith stands when it comes to his chances of becoming a more regular fixture in the starting XI.
Rohl cannot keep giving Ugbo opportunities, especially when Smith is performing well. Indeed, Wednesday may even find themselves in a position where Smith ends up deciding staying at the club isn’t the right move for him, and that would be a real shame.