Following the expiration of his contract at Burnley, who wanted to keep him, the former Peterborough United man signed for Wednesday.
Fans of a Derby County persuasion would’ve been rankled by the news that George Boyd left Burnley for Sheffield Wednesday rather than the Rams, especially as Gary Rowett proved to be a very interested suitor back in May, as reported by the Mirror.
Derby were supposedly hoping that Boyd could be persuaded to sign on at Pride Park, but while the 31-year-old has indeed dropped a division to get regular football, he’s done so with the Rams’ promotion rivals in Carlos Carvalhal’s Owls.
Burnley’s George Boyd shoots at goal
While Boyd’s figures weren’t great in the 2016/17 campaign with Burnley, with two goals and one assist coming in 36 Premier League games, his overall contribution to the team was worth more than what the stats look like, with Boyd running himself into the ground for the cause in every game he played in and making himself reliable to Sean Dyche.
Considering Derby have just lost their best wideman in Tom Ince to Huddersfield Town, a player of Boyd’s quality would have been ideal for the Rams – while his work rate and physical nature would have made him a key player in a Rowett system.
Even at 31, Boyd has an awful lot to offer – which is precisely why one of the Championship’s best teams in Wednesday have swooped – and he will have a huge part to play in Carvalhal’s third attempt at getting the Owls out of the second division in the correct manner.
Instead, Rowett is now tasked with finding a player with the same quality and experience, which will prove exceptionally difficult – and expensive – while cursing his luck as Boyd inevitably becomes a key cog in a machine for a direct rival.
Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla in action with Burnley’s George Boyd
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