One positive in appointing Darren Moore is that it’ll give Sheffield Wednesday something they’ve never really had – a manager that’ll trust and develop youth prospects.
This could become a paramount tactic should the Owls be relegated to League One as their already precarious finances will be depleted even more.
The Hillsborough-based outfit can clearly produce talent as seen in Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, who have both become regular members of the first-team setup this season.
We also got a glimpse of some of the other young Owls hopefuls in the FA Cup earlier in the campaign as then-caretaker boss Neil Thompson handed the reins to several of academy prospects.
One of which was left-back Ryan Galvin, who arguably stole the show in their 2-0 victory over League Two outfit Exeter City in the third round.
Should Moore promote Galvin?
Yes!
No!
The 20-year-old won 83% of his duels, made five tackles and had three interceptions, via SofaScore, in what was his senior debut for the Yorkshire giants, leading to YorkshireLive reporter Dom Howson waxing lyrical.
He wrote in his post-match ratings: “Assured display from the left-back on his pro debut. Did not look out of place at all, delivering a bright, energetic performance. A day he will remember for the rest of his life.”
Considering former Owls boss Tony Pulis once claimed that he didn’t have a left-back at the club, it is perhaps worth considering Galvin as a long-term option in the role – even more so under the stewardship of Moore.
At Doncaster Rovers, the 46-year-old had one of the youngest squads in the division (average age of 24.6), which is a stark contrast to the ageing cohort of players at Hillsborough (27.1).
Galvin has been pulling up trees in the youth system, with academy coach Andy Holdsworth dubbing him one of the U23s’ “star performers,” he added: “Ryan Galvin came in and he didn’t put a foot wrong.”
The young defender certainly fits the mould in what Moore would be looking for, former Wigan coach Nick Chadwick told The Athletic: “He’s direct, quick and has a terrific crossing ability. He can dribble with the ball at his feet and is as good at that as he is without it, and in terms of his attacking game, there was not much more we could add.”
Clearly, Matt Penney isn’t too fancied at the club as he’s started only ten league games, whilst Liam Palmer is entering the final 18 months of his current deal – and the interest in free-agent Danny Simpson speaks volumes.
Therefore, the Owls could save themselves thousands ahead of next season by promoting Galvin into the first team. They won’t need to sign a new option, whether that be permanently, through a loan or on a free transfer – all of which will undoubtedly stack up financially.
AND in other news, Moore can solve season-long nightmare with move for £450k-rated “demon”…