Forgotten Newcastle United man offered hope for Sheffield Wednesday return after squad omission

Newcastle United midfielder Jeff Hendrick has not featured for Sheffield Wednesday in the league since early-December and was omitted from the Owls’ 25-man EFL Registration List earlier this year. Hendrick moved to Hillsborough in the summer to join up with Xisco Munoz’s newly-promoted squad - before the Spaniard departed in October after failing to win any of his ten games in charge.

Danny Rohl was appointed as Munoz’s successor and whilst their fortunes have turned around on the pitch, Hendrick has not been a big part of that transformation. The Republic of Ireland international has played just once in 2024 - coming on as a second-half substitute during their 4-1 FA Cup Fourth Round replay defeat to Coventry City.

The deadline for Wednesday to submit their final 25-man squad is at 5pm on March 28 with the Owls having an opportunity between now and then to sign and register any free agents to bolster their squad. Speaking to The Star, Rohl admitted it would be ‘difficult’ for the club to sign anyone now and get them up to speed quick enough to make an impact - offering Hendrick a potential route back into his plans: “At the moment there is nobody more,” Rohl said. 

“We will come to a point in the next weeks where it does not work. To bring a new person in with only a few weeks, they would have to adapt to the philosophy and style of football. It would be more and more difficult for them to be on the same page and in the same direction. My players have a high credit from my side; they are fighting, they are mentally strong. It is good to see.

“In this situation, to get a player to come in and make an impact, it is difficult. At the moment there are no other players in the market. If something happens then okay but at the moment I am not really convinced that there are any more players to come in.”

Hendrick, who turned 32 in January, is out of contract at the end of the season and hasn’t featured for Newcastle United since December 2021.