Five things Sheffield Wednesday fans should look for at Russia 2018

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Sheffield Wednesday could feature more than you might have expected at the 2018 World Cup.

HITC Sport has picked out five things a Sheffield Wednesday fan should look for at this summer’s World Cup…

WAWAW? – While Wednesday may not have a single player in Russia, they won’t be short of supporters. And it’s not just in the stands where Owls can be spotted – there’s also three in the England squad. Jamie Vardy and Gary Cahill are each of a blue and white persuasion, while Harry Maguire was before he turned to the dark side.

Jo-han the team – There may have been a Sheffield Wednesday representative at this summer’s tournament, had things worked out differently last August. Johan Djourou was all set to sign for the Owls, but joined Antalyaspor instead. The 31-year-old centre-back was named in Switzerland’s squad on Monday.

Brad memories – By our reckoning, there is only one former Wednesday player set to feature in Russia (excluding Vardy, who was in the Owls’ academy but never progressed through to the first team), and that is Australia’s Brad Jones. The goalkeeper spent three months at Hillsborough at the start of 2006/07 – a period many Wednesdayites would rather forget. Now 36, Jones plays for Feyenoord in Holland.

Jossy’s Giants – Five players previously signed by Jos Luhukay have been called to represent their national teams this summer, including the France defender Benjamin Pavard, who according to BILD is a £53 million target for Arsenal. Marvin Plattenhardt (Germany), Koo Ja Cheol (South Korea), Genki Haraguchi (Japan) and Marcin Kaminski (Poland) were also recruited while the Sheffield Wednesday manager was working in German football. His eye for a signing could bode well for the Owls.

Brassed off – For the sixth finals running, England will be backed by their official supporters’ band most commonly found – out of sight but never out of mind – at the back of the Hillsborough Kop. Whether that’s a positive or negative thing is up to you.