Rory McArdle is available on a free this summer after bringing an end to five years at Bradford City – but is he good enough for Sheffield Wednesday?
Rory McArdle would surely jump at the chance of re-joining Sheffield Wednesday this summer – a decade after he was let go by the Hillsborough giants.
The Bradford City centre-back is a dyed-in-the-wool Wednesday fanatic after all. One who grew up in the Steel City and began his career in The Owls youth academy before moving on to Rochdale in 2007.
With McArdle’s contract expiring at Valley Parade this summer, it appears that his final game for Bradford was that heart-wrenching League One Play-Off final defeat to Millwall at Wembley just a few weeks ago.
Bradford suffered heartbreak at Wembley
However, the question is whether the experienced defender will be given a chance to continue his career at a higher level. According to the Telegraph and Argus, two League One clubs have expressed an interest in McArdle after a series of stand-out appearances for The Bantams in the last five years.
The Scunthorpe Telegraph, meanwhile, claim that Scunthorpe are keen after also falling in the play-offs
Consequently, Bradford’s longest-serving player appears to have no offers from the Championship as of yet.
Dream return?
Though you wonder whether Wednesday will consider handing McArdle a dream return to where it all began. A new defender is an absolute priority for The Owls this summer with Carlos Carvalhal deserving huge credit for guiding Wednesday into the top six despite possessing only Tom Lees and Glenn Loovens as reliable centre-backs in 2016/17.
Sheffield Wednesday Manager Carlos Carvalhal lacked defensive options
However, despite McArdle’s commitment to the club, the seven-time Northern Ireland international is completely unproven at Championship level.
Therefore, even on a free transfer, a player who knows the club inside and out may not necessarily be the best man for the job.
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