Sheffield Wednesday striker Connor Wickham has suggested that Garry Monk played a vital role in convincing him to make the move to the Owls in January ahead of other potential suitors.

Wickham arrived at Sheffield Wednesday on loan from Crystal Palace for the rest of the campaign towards the end of the January transfer window, with the Owls managing to fend off some competition from other clubs to secure the striker’s signature.

The Owls were in need of adding another striker to help them cope with the continued absence of top scorer Steven Fletcher who is out through injury, and the 26-year-old made his debut for Monk’s side from the start against Barnsley in the 1-1 draw last weekend.

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Speaking to the Sheffield Star, Wickham suggested that a conversation with Monk was the main factor that convinced him to make the move to Sheffield Wednesday ahead of some other clubs in January, saying: "He was massive to be honest. I spoke to him quite a few times and I felt the love from the manager.

"That's what you need, I felt that the manager wanted me, so hopefully I can get on the pitch and repay that faith.
"As soon as I spoke to the manager, I spoke to my dad, I spoke to my agent and said 'we need to make this happen', and thankfully it did."

The Verdict:

Monk certainly seems to have already established a real relationship with Wickham and that could prove to be vital in helping to get the very best out of the striker, who has already shown he can be a real threat in the Championship when at his best during a previous spell with the Owls in the 2013/14 season.

Wickham will be needing this loan move to be a successful one as he looks to re-capture his best form having found himself far down the pecking order at Crystal Palace this season, and this move offers a fresh chance for him to become the leading man up front for Monk’s side.

It is interesting that Monk managed to convince the forward to make the move to Sheffield Wednesday in January, and suggests that the Owls boss has plenty of faith in the striker’s ability to add more of a goal threat up front for his side for the rest of the campaign.

Wickham was not at his best against Barnsley on his debut, but he should quickly improve given regular game time during the rest of the season with Sheffield Wednesday, and the 26-year-old will be hoping his goals could help get the club competing for the top-six again.