Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl has provided a further update on this rarely-seen Owls midfielder.
Sheffield Wednesday appear to have been hard at work in the transfer market this month.
But the Owls still have just the two signings to their name, in what’s become an increasingly frustrating window; from the outside looking in at least.
Rohl and Sheffield Wednesday appear to be missing out on transfer targets with Arsenal striker Mika Biereth looking like the latest linked player who’s set to seal a move elsewhere.
And it could mean that Wednesday retain some of the players that looked set to move on this month; Jeff Hendrick being one.
Dany Rohl reveals the latest on Jeff Hendrick at Sheffield Wednesday
Hendrick looked poised to follow the likes of John Buckley and Tyreeq Bakinson out of the Hillsborough exit door this month.
Reports emerged claiming that to be the case, before it was then revealed that Hendrick was actually more likely to stay in South Yorkshire.
The Newcastle United loan man hasn’t featured since a brief cameo in the win over Blackburn Rovers at the start of December and Rohl later revealed that the 31-year-old is injured.
Now though, Rohl has revealed that Hendrick is closing in on a return to first-team training, but suggested that the player’s future at the club remains up in the air.
Rohl told The Star:
“Jeff is now close to coming back to training. And this is the situation… At the moment things are happening behind closed doors, we are trying things, having conversations, we’re working hard.”
Hendrick, who earns a reported £50,000-a-week at parent club Newcastle, has featured 10 times in the Championship for Sheffield Wednesday, scoring once.
Hendrick can yet play his part for the Owls
Although it’s not been easy for Hendrick at Sheffield Wednesday, there may be an unexpected chance for him to play his part in this second half of the season.
The midfield decks have been cleared out a bit and Hendrick finds himself a bit further up in the pecking order.
And Rohl might yet be forced to deploy Hendrick as the Owls continue to miss out on midfield targets, but the Irishman is certainly an experienced option to call upon.
Given a run of starts, Hendrick could rediscover his best form and show fans why he’s played so many games on the international stage and in the Premier League.
Firstly, he needs to make his return to fitness, and with the window still open for a while yet, there’s no guarantee that Wednesday don’t get rid of him before he has a chance to impress.
Right now though, given Wednesday’s ongoing poor luck in the window, Hendrick looks as though he might be staying.