Sheffield Wednesday have recently completed a deal to sign Lewis Gibson on a season-long loan deal from Everton for the 2021/22 campaign. 

Gibson has been with the Premier League side since 2017, but is yet to make a first-team appearance for the Toffees, and has been loaned out in recent seasons in an attempt to further his development.

The defender made 13 appearances for Reading last season, although he was often behind Omar Richards in the pecking order in Veljko Paunovic's side.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping that Gibson can play his part in their promotion bid this term, as they look to return to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Speaking in a post-match press conference (quotes sourced from Yorkshire Live) after their 0-0 draw with Charlton Athletic on the opening day of the 2021/22 season, Owls boss Darren Moore labelled Gibson as a 'top talent', and was hopeful that he could make a positive impact with his side this term in League One.

"He's a top talent and a great young player.

"I am really looking forward to working with him, centre-back to centre-back in developing him further. He will give us more balance down that left hand side with him being a left footer and he will open up the pitch for us.

"We had real strong competition for him from a couple of teams in our division. He did right and went to all three teams and ourselves and I am really pleased we managed to secure him. He's another good player to add to our squad."

Gibson could be in line to make his Sheffield Wednesday debut when they next return to action on Saturday, when they host Doncaster Rovers, in what could potentially be a tricky test for Darren Moore's side at Hillsborough.

The Verdict: 

This is a smart bit of business by the Owls.

Gibson didn't feature enough to pass a fair judgement on his performances in a loan spell with Reading last season, and it'll be interesting to see how he copes with League One football this term.

Sheffield Wednesday certainly needed additional strength in depth in their defensive options this summer, and it's good to see Darren Moore addressing that early into the 2021/22 season.

Gibson is a versatile option to have in the team, as he can operate at both centre-back and left-back, and he'll be looking to further his development in senior football with a positive spell at Hillsborough.