Sheffield Wednesday Under-23 manager Lee Bullen has confirmed that the club are currently casting their eye over defender Tom Wilson who has been handed a trial at Hillsborough.
The 20-year-old could potentially feature regularly for the Owls' youth outfit for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign if he makes a positive impression.
Wilson was brought on in the second-half of the club's Under-23 clash with Sheffield United yesterday as Wednesday slumped to a 3-0 defeat in this particular fixture.
The defender is now expected to feature in a friendly against Huddersfield Town next week before a decision is made regarding his future.
George Byers and Massimo Luongo also played for Wednesday in this aforementioned showdown with the Blades as they stepped up their recovery from their respective injury issues.
This particular duo will be determined to force their way into the Owls' starting eleven in the not too distant future as Darren Moore's side look to push on in League One.
Making reference to Wilson, Bullen has admitted that the defender has recently joined Wednesday on trial and is currently being assessed ahead of a potential swoop.
Speaking to The Sheffield Star about the defender, Bullen said: "He's on trial, I think he started at Sheffield United, but he's been at Belper.
"It's an area where we've needed cover with players like [Ciaran] Brennan out on loan.
"He also brings a bit of physicality with his height, so he's one that we're looking at.
"It's going to be a season of that - week in, week out - and to be honest we're looking more towards next season."
The Verdict
Having opted to hand Wilson the opportunity to prove his worth, it will be intriguing to see whether the defender is able to convince Wednesday to offer him a contract.
Although Wilson is unlikely to force his way into the Owls' senior squad due to the presence of Dominic Iorfa, Chey Dunkley, Liam Palmer, Sam Hutchinson and Lewis Gibson, he could potentially make considerable strides in terms of his development by playing regularly for the club's Under-23 side.
The defender will be determined to produce an eye-catching display next week against the Terriers as he could convince Wednesday to sign him.
However, if he is unable to deliver the goods in this particular fixture, Wilson may be forced to look elsewhere for a route into professional football.