Nobody can possibly accuse Steve Bruce of shying away from a challenge after stepping into the madhouse that is Sheffield Wednesday. 

There is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the club at present most notably in relation to their financial situation and an impending transfer embargo.

But they remain able to sign people in the current window and there is no doubt that Bruce will be looking to do just that with the Owls teetering precariously close to the Championship relegation zone.

They currently sit in 16th place with 27 matches played and just nine points ahead of Reading who sit top of the relegation zone at the moment.

However, Bruce will know that this is set to be a long-term project which is undoubtedly planned to end in the Owls winning promotion to the Premier League.

Part of that plan could be looking ahead to next season already and tying down impressive names to long term deals.

One of those who will no doubt be under consideration is centre-back, Michael Hector.

Having arrived on loan from Chelsea in the summer for the season, Hector wasted no time acclimatising himself to his new squad.

 

He made an instant and impressive impact on his first full start against Aston Villa at Villa Park, proving a domineering presence when in defence, and a calming slick operator when on the ball.

A freak John McGinn volley denied him a deserved clean sheet, but since then continued to be a rare figure of consistency as Jos Luhukay's Wednesday world slowly began to crumble.

Of course, Hector was affected by the increasing toxicity between the fans and the club in that period in November and December, he is only 26 after all. So it is no real surprise he had a couple of off games as well.

The fact remains, that at the peak of his powers, Hector can be one of the best defenders in the Championship.

It is easy to forget how good he was for Reading thanks to his silly move to Chelsea, so tying him down to a permanent deal would be a terrific start to Bruce's reign and set the tone perfectly.