There were some people, and I will hold my hands up as one of them, that felt this summer was likely to spell the end of Tom Lees' time at Sheffield Wednesday.

Lees was in and out of the side last season and lost the captaincy heading into the current campaign, with Barry Bannan handed the armband instead as Garry Monk looks to start a new era at Hillsborough.

And yet, over the past few weeks, the 29-year-old has shown all the characteristics that saw him named Owls captain in the first place – playing every minute of both Wednesday's Championship games and helping them to make an unbeaten start to the season.

Monk's men started the 2020/21 campaign with a 2-0 win against Cardiff City but it was in Saturday's goalless draw against Watford that Lees really showed his quality.

We've put a spotlight on his performance against the Hornets to highlight just how impressive he was...

They're still finding their feet at Championship level but off the back of their relegation from the Premier League, Watford boast a scary squad – with their options in the final third likely to be cause for concern for plenty of defenders this season.

Wednesday's backline managed to take the sting out of the Hornets on Saturday, reducing them to just three shots on target and securing a well-earned point.

Goalkeeper Cameron Dawson produced some impressive saves at Hillsborough on the weekend but in front of him, it was the resolute and determined performance of Lees that caught the eye.

Starting as the middle of Wednesday's three central defenders, the former captain produced a performance that was both clever and fearless – consistently ensuring he was in the right place at the right time to defuse a number of difficult situations.

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His reading of the game and determination to ensure the Owls' resolve would not be broken is outlined by his seven clearances and seven interceptions against Watford, while he wasn't afraid to capitalise on the numbers Wednesday had at the back by regularly surging out to win the ball – proving victorious in 63% of his loose ball duels.

Lees made a mammoth 21 recoveries for the Owls on the weekend and what made things even more impressive was how well he used the possession once he had recovered it, connecting with 86% of his passes and all five of his long balls forward.

It speaks volumes of the type of character Lees is that his response to the disappointment of losing the captaincy has been so impressive.

After a summer that seemed as though it could've seen the 29-year-old leave the Yorkshire club, his displays in the first two Championship games of the season have indicated he could yet have a major role to play in helping them overcoming their 12-point deduction, securing their place in the second tier of English football, and surging up the table further.