Leeds United have given Sheffield Wednesday a big assist towards avoiding relegation to League One.
Troy Deeney and Clinton Morrison have lavished praise on Ian Poveda following his Sheffield Wednesday debut. The 24-year-old winger, who joined the Owls on loan from Leeds United late in the January transfer window, started his debut game for Danny Rohl’s side on Friday night.
Poveda repaid his new employer with a ‘excellent’ performance as Wednesday defeated Birmingham City 2-0 at Hillsborough. He made an excellent assist for the Owls’ first goal of the evening, slaloming into the box and cutting the ball back to Ike Ugbo, who was unmarked in the six-yard box.
The former Manchester City teenager helped Rohl secure the club’s first Championship win since New Year’s Day. On Sky Sports, Deeney and Morrison, who were covering the game, waxed lyrical about Poveda.
The former Watford striker, who was recently let go by Forest Green Rovers, said: “He’s bought into it all. We talk about his good on-ball performance, but he also works hard off the ball, has won duels in the game, and is going for it.
“He’s not giving up, and he embodies everything Sheffield Wednesday needs. He has that x-factor, that tiny extra attribute that will improve their fortunes not only today, but in the future.”
Morrison continued: “I thought he was amazing tonight. He fully deserved the man of the match award. He’s energetic and something Sheffield Wednesday require.
“You know what they’re like, they want to be hard-working and hard to beat but he’s got that bit of x-factor where he can take you up the pitch.”
Speaking to reporters after the game, Rohl emphasized his team’s ‘strength and camaraderie’ as they look to avoid relegation. The Wednesday boss stated, “Our strength is our team and our unity. My boys did an excellent job, and I am quite pleased of the players.
“This has been a difficult week, following Huddersfield and then Coventry in the cup, but we have responded admirably. I had to make some difficult decisions before the Coventry game.
“Of course, I wanted to win and improve, but I had to focus on the game tonight.The players shown their commitment to the team tonight.The conflict, the response, the character, and the objectives.
“But we take it step by step, game by game. We have a crucial game against Leicester on Tuesday, and we need to go there with confidence. We just took three points tonight, not ten; it’s one game, and we’ll go on.
