Sheffield Wednesday have had a host of extremely talented players come through the doors at Hillsborough, and the right-back slot has been one of the more fruitful positions.
The Owls have seen three different divisions since the turn of the millennium with relegation following the New Year in the 1999/2000 season, to then have financial issues cause their drop into the third tier.
Ups and downs then saw Wednesday shift between the third and second tier, before finally settling in the Championship after their promotion in 2012.
Challenges for the top six and the play-offs have followed for the Owls since then, coming very close to a return to the top flight with back-to-back play-off defeats in 2015/16 and 2016/17.
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An overhaul looks on the cards this summer under Garry Monk with a number of players out of contract at the end of the season, with a lot underperforming at present.
Sheffield Wednesday’s history has seen a lot of strong defenders come through and impress at Hillsborough, with Roland Nilsson and Mel Sterland the two standout candidates before the year 2000.
Here, we take a look at four of the best right-backs from S6 since the turn of the millennium…
Lewis Buxton
The right-back initially joined the club on a one-month loan deal but this was swiftly made permanent in January 2009 as he forced a move to Hillsborough away from Stoke City.
He joined a Wednesday side eager to clinch promotion back to the Championship and helped them to do so in 2012, whilst still playing in a variety of positions, mainly as a right-back though.
After returning to the Championship, Buxton’s consistency blossomed and saw him scoop up Wednesday’s Player of the Year award for the 2012/13 season.
During his spell at Hillsborough, Buxton managed over 200 appearances and while he was never a world-beater, he was extremely consistent in a time where the club hadn’t seen much at all.
Liam Palmer
Another player who might not have been the best right-back in the division, but the consistency that Liam Palmer has shown to be a regular first-team player over his lengthy spell at Hillsborough is a testament to how he’s done.
The Scottish international has amassed 253 appearances for the club and while he might have come in for criticism during the past few weeks, he can still look back on his Owls career with positivity and can be held amongst some esteemed company with such a long spell.
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Frank Simek
The USA international arrived on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2005 and quickly made an impact on the side, pushing fan-favourite Lee Bullen out of the team and nailing down a starting berth for years to come.
A goal away to Millwall in his first season helped the side to clinch an all-important victory to fight against relegation.
His solid early career for Wednesday saw him become a key member of the side for the first two seasons there, before an injury scuppered the rest of his time at Hillsborough. 129 appearances for the club showed his value during his five seasons with the Owls.
Dominic Iorfa
The towering defender hasn’t had the lengthiest spell at Hillsborough compared to some of his counterparts, but he has already made a great impact for the Owls in his first two seasons.
Arriving from Wolves in the summer of 2018, Iorfa took time to bed himself in the Wednesday starting lineup, but has since proven his worth to Garry Monk this term with 32 appearances in the league already.
While there will be a major upheaval at the club in the summer, one player who will be certain to stick around is Iorfa after some dominant performances at both right-back and centre-back.