Sheffield Wednesday boss, Darren Moore, has revealed that it became difficult to agree new deals with Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide as soon as January had passed, with the pair now both confirmed arrivals at Celtic. 

Shaw's future at Sheffield Wednesday was agreed before the 2020/21 season concluded, with the youngster signing a pre-contract agreement with Celtic ahead of his deal at Hillsborough expiring.

Urhoghide also allowed his deal with the Owls to run down, allowing him to link up with Celtic on a four-year deal just last week.

The two youngster depart Hillsborough on the back of making a combined total of just 45 appearances, with Wednesday left disappointed that neither committed to the club.

For Moore, he had no opportunity to convince Shaw, but was gutted he couldn't persuade Urhoghide to stay.

He also revealed that had he been at the club earlier, neither would have been in the situation they were in, with the Wednesday boss conceding it was always going to be difficult to keep the pair around when they entered the last six months of their deals.

As quoted by The Glasgow Evening Times, Moore said: “We were anxious to keep them both. But once you get that side of the year, after January, it’s very difficult for you to strike deals.

“Players of their magnitude, you don’t let them get to that side of their contract. Had I been at the club a lot earlier then that wouldn’t have happened.

“I tried to keep Osaze in the building. But the boy had already made up his mind by the time I came in. I got it and I understood it, as disappointing as it was. I tried as hard as I could."

Wednesday are preparing for League One football in 2021/22, with Moore failing to keep the Owls in the Championship on the back of his appointment last year.

The Verdict 

Sheffield Wednesday need to use Moore's comments as a lesson to get things right in the future.

As he says, he wouldn't have allowed either to get to this point with regard to their contracts at Wednesday had he been around longer, so it's important that the Owls act on that and tie down other talent long-term.

The disappointment of losing Shaw and Urhoghide remains raw and this decision will never be reversed. However, if Wednesday can learn a positive lesson from the sagas, there will have been some good come out of it.

Thoughts? Let us know!