Sheffield Wednesday may be more concerned with players coming and going as we head towards the January transfer window, but it seems they will now need to deal with the loss of one very influential coach.
A lot has changed at Sheffield Wednesday over the last couple of decades, with the club dropping in and out of the Championship, players moving on, and various managers coming through the doors.
Throughout all of that, even with new ownership radically changing the structure of the club behind the scenes, one man has been there to see it all, and even served the Owls on the pitch before taking a role among the Sheffield Wednesday coaching staff.
That’s all about to change, though, as reports suggest this Sheffield Wednesday legend is taking on a new opportunity elsewhere.
Steve Haslam leaving Sheffield Wednesday
According to a report from The Star, the club will now need to find a new leader for the Sheffield Wednesday academy, as Steve Haslam is moving on after being offered a new role elsewhere.
Described as being “part of the furniture” at Wednesday, Haslam has headed up the academy since 2017, after working his way up through the ranks as a coach since calling time on his playing career in 2012.
Haslam began his career with the Owls way back in 1999, and made 171 appearances for his boyhood club before departing in 2003.
He returned to Hillsborough to begin his path in coaching, and has not looked back since. One thing is for sure, his exit will leave a big gap behind the scenes at Sheffield Wednesday and will be something Dejphon Chansiri needs to resolve sooner rather than later.
It is not known at this time where Haslam’s next job is, or when exactly he will leave.
Bright stars emerged thanks to Steve Haslam
While many will miss Haslam for the person he is and the warmth he brings to S6 behind the scenes, his influence on the past, present, and future at Sheffield Wednesday cannot be overstated.
Even just among the current crop of players in the Sheffield Wednesday squad, Owls fans can thank Haslam for the emergence of the likes of Gabriel Otegbayo, Pierce Charles, and the fantastic forward, Bailey Cadamarteri, who is in explosive form right now.
For a club like Wednesday, where finances are tight, to say the least, the conveyor belt of talent coming through the academy is key. Delivering even a handful of exciting young players that can contribute to the senior squad is a massive boost, and Haslam has almost single-handedly kept that process going for the last seven years.
Without Haslam, the very DNA of the club will be permanently altered.