Carlos Carvahal's first ever Sheffield Wednesday starting XI - What happened to every player? | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday beat Bristol City 2-0 in Carlos Carvalhal's first game in charge back in 2015.

Sheffield Wednesday are ready to start a new era after Arise Capital Partners finally completed their takeover of the club.

It has been a very difficult year for the Owls, who were effectively relegated just months into the season after they were hit with two point deductions, and there were fears about the future of the club.

So, it was a major relief when the takeover was finalised, and Wednesday had more good news after it was confirmed they wouldn’t start next season on -15 points.

Sheffield Wednesday will be aiming for the Premier League in the long-term

Therefore, there is optimism around Hillsborough right now, and the challenge for the new owners is to back Henrik Pedersen with a squad that can win promotion.

Looking to the long-term, the main aim is to get back to the Premier League, with Wednesday having not played in the top tier of English football since 2000.

They went close in that period though, with Carlos Carvalhal taking the team to a play-off final, but they lost to Hull.

Despite falling short at the final hurdle, the Portuguese coach galvanised the fan base, brought many happy memories and delivered a Wednesday team the fans loved, so the new owners will be hoping to replicate that moving forward.

But, it wasn’t all straightforward for Carvalhal, and here we look at the XI that started his first game for the club, which was a 2-0 win over Bristol City at Hillsborough…

Keiren Westwood

The keeper was already at Wednesday when Carvalhal arrived, and he would go on to become a key figure in that team.

Westwood made almost 200 appearances for the club before leaving in 2021, and the Owls certainly saw the best of the Irish international, as he featured just six times for QPR before retiring.

Jack Hunt

The right-back was one of several new signings to play, and, like Westwood, he would become an important player under Carvalhal.

He would depart for Bristol City in 2018, before returning to Wednesday three years later, which included helping them win promotion back to the Championship. Hunt has since gone on to play for Bristol Rovers, Stockport and, most recently, Wigan.

Glenn Loovens

The former Celtic centre-back had been at Hillsborough a few years prior to Carvalhal’s appointment, and he was another who played regularly under the ex-Braga chief.

Loovens would eventually depart in 2018, when his best days were behind him, and he had just 11 more games as a professional with Sunderland before retiring.

Tom Lees

Lees was yet another player who was very good for Carvalhal and Wednesday, having signed from Leeds United in 2014.

He would play 274 times for the club, before signing for Huddersfield Town, and Lees has just finished the 2025/26 campaign with Peterborough, aged 35.

Jeremy Helan

The powerful left-sided player joined Wednesday on loan initially in 2012, and he would go on to pull on the shirt over 100 times.

Yet, it’s fair to say his situation is unlike any of his other former teammates, as Helan decided to retire in 2016 at just 24 in order to focus on his religion, and he hasn’t played a professional game since.

Sam Hutchinson

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Hutchinson was another player Carvalhal inherited, and he would become a mainstay for the Owls when fit, with his drive and aggression important to the team in the middle of the park.

The former Chelsea youngster had a brief spell with Pafos before returning to Wednesday, and he then joined Reading before his latest move to AFC Wimbledon, with the League One outfit releasing the 36-year-old this summer.

Alex Lopez

The Spanish midfielder was signed by Carvalhal from Celta Vigo on loan, and he made his debut in the win over the Robins.

In truth, he didn’t fully settle into English football, and he has gone on to have an interesting career. After stints with Valladolid and Sporting Gijon, Lopez moved to Australian side Brisbane Roar for a season, and he then had six years with Racing Ferrol before retiring in 2025.

Ross Wallace

The Scotsman signed in the summer Carvalhal joined on a free transfer after leaving Burnley, and it turned out to be great business by Wednesday.

Wallace was another who played regularly over the next few years, and he made some big contributions for the Owls. The wide man signed for Fleetwood in 2018, and he had a brief spell at St. Mirren before hanging up his boots.

Lewis McGugan

McGugan scored in Carvalhal’s first game, along with Lees, but he would not be able to make a significant impact under the Owls boss.

Injuries didn’t help the ex-Nottingham Forest man in his career, but he also fell completely out of favour under Carvalhal, who was happy to let him leave. In the end, McGugan departed by mutual consent in 2017, and a short spell with Northampton in the following season was his last involvement in the professional game.