Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeping duo, Cameron Dawson and Joe Wildsmith, have been the topic of discussion with Chris Kirkland recently and the ex-Owl has conceded that the pressure of first-team football might’ve come too soon.  

Dawson made his debut for Wednesday as a 21-year-old and, now, as a 25-year-old goalkeeper, he’s made 65 appearances for the Owls and had spells as the club’s first-choice.

Wildsmith, 24, has been competing with Dawson and Keiren Westwood for games since his debut as a 19-year-old in 2015. He’s gone on to make 63 appearances for Wednesday across all competitions and, at the time of Garry Monk’s sacking, was the club’s go-to option.

Westwood has been the pair’s more experienced senior, but he’s fallen out of the picture under a couple of other regimes, which has presented Dawson and Wildsmith with their chance.

However, for Kirkland – speaking to Football League World - he’s not convinced that the timing has been right for the pair. 

“Cammy and Joe, I think it's come on too soon,” he explained. 

“And I think you know, when I was there, obviously they were learning and I was learning off them as well. I tried to give them as much advice as I could.  

“Great lads but I think you know, the pressure playing for Sheffield Wednesday, maybe just a little bit too soon for them and I think both have made mistakes.

“And obviously the situation in the club is you know, the both local lads as well which makes things a little bit tougher sometimes.”

Dawson started 2020/21 as Monk’s first-choice goalkeeper, but a couple of costly mistakes led to Wildsmith coming into the side.

He’s overseen a decent spell for Wednesday too, with only one goal conceded in three appearances.

Wildsmith has kept back-to-back clean sheets against AFC Bournemouth and Millwall, helping peel Wednesday off the foot of the Championship table.