Sheffield Wednesday's Matt Penney has revealed just how much he is enjoying life on-loan in Germany with St Pauli.

The defender made the temporary move to the Bundesliga 2 side on a season-long loan during the summer transfer window, and has so far made eight appearances in all competitions for his temporary club, helping them to 11th place in the German second-tier, a move the defender has now been speaking about.

Talking to Sheffield Wednesday's official website about how his move to St Pauli first came about, Penney revealed: “Me and the club had a chat and we said the best opportunity to get some regular games would be to go out on loan.

“I started looking out for loan moves and I got a call from the manager here who said he was interested in taking me and told me a lot about the league.

“I decided to try something different by going abroad and I’m thriving off it at the minute and really enjoying it.”

[freshpress-poll ]

Reflecting on his experiences since his arrival in Germany, it seems Penney has been struck by the level of his support his new club enjoys, as he added: “As soon as I got here, I realised it was a massive club, the average home attendance is around 30,000.

“It’s great to get back playing in front of big crowds in big games. The Hamburg derby when we won 2-0 was crazy, it’s been amazing.”

Discussing the progress he has made since his temporary move to the continent, Penney clearly seems to be confident about the impact he can have for Wednesday when he returns to the club next summer, with the 21-year-old adding: “I just want to come over here, keep playing and keep challenging myself.

“Then when I come back to Wednesday I’ll be a better player with more experience under my belt having played regular football.

“I feel like I’m getting better and more confident with each game. The standard is really good, the atmospheres are really good and I’m playing regularly. I can’t complain at all!”

Another issue Penney has had to overcome is adapting to a new country, although it seems that is something he is coping with pretty well, as he claimed: “I was a bit anxious to start with about the language, but since I’ve been here I’ve picked up bits and bobs, so I can understand some of it, but most of the lads speak English so they help me out!

“I’m having German lessons, so I am picking it up and every week I learn a bit more.”

Prior to his move to Germany, Penney had made 17 appearances in all competitions for Wednesday last season, with the 2019/20 campaign set to be the final year of his current contract with the Owls.

The Verdict

This certainly looks to be a positive situation for Penney to be in.

The defender certainly seems to be enjoying the run of games he is getting in the St Pauli side, and that experience of having to cope with the pressure of being a first-team regular should serve him well further into his career.

Indeed, with next season set to be the last on his current contract with Wednesday, he may need some big performances if he is to secure an extension to his deal with Hillsborough, which could be helped by his development with St Pauli.

The fact that Penney is also working to develop his German language skills here is also impressive, since it shows how seriously he is taking this move despite it only being a temporary one.