Former Wigan Athletic manager Paul Cook has distanced himself from taking over at Sheffield Wednesday after suggesting that talks between himself and the club are no longer ongoing.

Cook has reportedly held talks with the Owls over the prospect of taking over from Tony Pulis, who was sacked just ten matches into his reign. The 53-year-old has emerged as a popular choice amongst supporters with many feeling that he could be the right man to get the club back on track and build on the three successive wins under Neil Thompson.

The former Wigan boss earned plenty of plaudits for the work he did with the Latics, guiding them to promotion back to the Championship and then keeping them up in 2018/19. Cook then had them as one of the form teams in the league in 2020, but ultimately a points deduction saw them relegated to the third tier.

Speaking to talkSPORT, via Yorkshire Live, Cook suggested that he has indeed held talks with the Owls and admitted that he had applied for the role when Pulis was appointed. However, he suggested that talks are not ongoing now and hinted at some of the issues that would prevent him from taking over.

Did Sheffield Wednesday sign each of these 14 players for more or less than £1 million?

He said: “First and foremost, as a manager and a person looking at the job, through social media I am absolutely overwhelmed with the support I’ve been receiving from Sheffield Wednesday fans in general, from the support there that have wanted me to go into the club and have thought I am the right person, that’s fantastic.

“If I can be as honest as I can be with anyone, Sheffield Wednesday supporters, I applied for the job first time around when Tony Pulis took the job and I wasn’t considered, I never got a phone call. That’s football.

“The second time around I deemed that if I didn’t get a phone call first time, I didn’t see the point in applying second time.

“But I have had contact with Sheffield Wednesday, we have spoken. As we speak now those talks aren’t really ongoing.

“So that’s where the situation stands. I wish Sheffield Wednesday going forward, whether it’s Paul Cook or any manager, the best of luck because it’s a fantastic club with fantastic support.

“It [Sheffield Wednesday] is a fantastic opportunity for anyone, but people have to understand about modern day football, if you want to manage one of these good clubs you have to be able to manage. If you’re not allowed to manage, then you’re an employee and not a manager.”

The verdict

This is a major blow for Sheffield Wednesday, Cook’s name being mentioned had been met with a lot of encouragement by supporters which the 53-year-old himself acknowledged in his update. However, it seems from these comments like it will be a different manager taking over the daunting task of turning the club around.

Given the situation they are in it is going to be a massive job for whoever takes on the task, and Cook had the right kind of CV to suggest it was something he could be equipped to handle. The 53-year-old has experienced managing relegation battles and even dealing with financial issues as well so would have been the right fit.

It seems as though talks over how the club is ran behind the scenes have put Cook off the job, and that reflects a major problem that needs addressing before any progress can be made at Sheffield Wednesday. It will be interesting to see who they move for now that the 53-year-old for now at least appears out of the running.