Though he may be the youngest sibling, it would seem Pierce Charles has quite the influence over his older brother, Shea, after revealing he persuaded him to join Sheffield Wednesday in the summer.
Pierce Charles has been with the Owls since he left the Manchester City academy back in 2020, and has steadily seen his reputation rise and rise in S6 ever since.
The 19-year-old featured for Danny Rohl‘s side in the Carabao Cup this season and was celebrated after a ‘really impressive’ display against Brentford in Wednesday’s fourth-round defeat.
He’s been joined at the club by his older brother, Shea Charles, who is on a season-long loan from Southampton, and the 21-year-old has proven to be a gem for the Owls so far.
Pierce Charles couldn’t believe Shea was joining him at Hillsborough
Turns out, Pierce had a hand in convincing his older brother to sign up with Wednesday this summer, and it’s a move that has helped the pair fulfil a dream they’ve shared for a long time.
In a Q&A with the club on YouTube, the siblings were asked what it’s like to play for the same team, and Shea said: “It is a bit mad. We always spoke about playing for Northern Ireland together, but at club level, we’ve obviously joked about it a few times but we never actually thought it would happen.
It was a development that took Pierce by surprise at the time, with the young goalkeeper describing the situation as “a bit surreal,” and he even admitted he “thought it was all made up.”
On his involvement in getting the deal over the line, Pierce added: “I remember we were sat at the dinner table at home, talking about the move, and I was like ‘Yeah come, come, come.’ And within like a few days it was almost done.”
Sheffield Wednesday need to keep hold of Shea Charles
It is unclear what will happen to Shea Charles once this season is over, but one thing’s for sure, his stock is rising after a number of excellent displays for the Owls already this term.
Southampton may well end up dropping back into the Championship as they continue to struggle in the top flight, and if so, they will more than likely be looking at someone like Charles as the kind of player who can step into their first-team next season.
However, if the Saints were to stay up — indeed, even if they get relegated — Sheffield Wednesday should fight tooth and nail to arrange some kind of deal that extends Charles’ stay in S6, be it permanent or another loan spell.
The young midfielder has imbued the Wednesday midfield with plenty of bite, lots of composure, and his hard work protecting the defence is crucial to any success Rohl’s side will have this season.