Ali Al-Hamadi reveals two things he loves about Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen | OneFootball

New Sheffield Wednesday striker Ali Al-Hamadi has delivered his verdict on Owls manager Henrik Pedersen after arriving at Hillsborough.

New Sheffield Wednesday striker Ali Al-Hamadi has praised Owls manager Henrik Pedersen after completing his loan move to Hillsborough from Ipswich Town.

It has been a busy summer for Wednesday as they rebuild their squad under new owner David Storch, and Al-Hamadi became the club's 16th new signing of the transfer window when he arrived on a season-long deal.

Ali Al-Hamadi makes Sheffield Wednesday move after frustrating Luton Town spell

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Al-Hamadi follows the likes of Joe Lumley, Billy Mitchell, Callum Slattery, Barry Bannan, Louie Barry, Harry Gray and Mason Burstow in making the move to Wednesday this summer, and he may feel he has a point to prove at Hillsborough.

After scoring 27 goals in 48 games during an impressive spell at AFC Wimbledon in League Two, Al-Hamadi joined Ipswich in January 2024 for a fee of just over £1 million, and he scored some important goals to help the Tractor Boys to promotion to the Premier League, including netting a brace in a 6-0 demolition of the Owls.

However, Al-Hamadi fell out of favour at Portman Road in the top flight, and he spent the second half of the 2024-25 season on loan at Stoke City, where he scored two goals in 15 appearances.

Al-Hamadi made another temporary exit from Ipswich last summer as he was loaned out to Luton Town, but he scored just one goal in 14 games during an injury-hit spell at Kenilworth Road, and the Hatters' obligation to buy him for £3 million was not activated due to the necessary criteria not being met.

With the Tractor Boys now back in the Premier League, Al-Hamadi has once again been deemed surplus to requirements by new manager Gary O'Neil, and the 23-cap Iraq international will spend this season on loan with Wednesday in League One.

Ali Al-Hamadi issues Henrik Pedersen verdict after swapping Ipswich Town for Sheffield Wednesday

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It has been a mixed start to the season for Wednesday, who followed up an unconvincing 2-1 victory at Leyton Orient on the opening weekend with a frustrating 1-0 home defeat to Bradford City last week.

The Owls put in another underwhelming performance as they were knocked out of the EFL Cup following a 2-0 defeat to Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night, which saw Pedersen come in for further criticism from supporters.

However, Al-Hamadi has revealed that the opportunity to work under Pedersen was a key factor in his decision to make the switch to Hillsborough, praising the Dane for his meticulous approach and man-management skills.

"What people are getting is a really hungry Ali at this moment. I'm feeling the best I've felt physically and mentally for a long time. You can expect someone who gives their all and wears a heart on their sleeve," Al-Hamadi told the club's official website.

"I was impressed by the manager’s attention to detail, his human nature of how he gets you as a person. That's part of it sometimes, just having a good connection with the manager.

"I've always had a good relationship with fans, I’m someone who gets it and tries to buy into the team and the culture of the club, that's the sort of person I am.

"I'm honestly really, really delighted to be here. You can't pass up an opportunity to play for a club like this. It seems in a really good place from top to bottom, so a perfect time."

Sheffield Wednesday fans may be surprised by Ali Al-Hamadi, Henrik Pedersen comments

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While Wednesday fans have plenty of respect for Pedersen on a human level, it is fair to say that many have doubts over his managerial ability, but Al-Hamadi is the latest new signing to cite the 48-year-old as one of the main reasons for joining the club.

After arriving on loan from Liverpool last week, winger Kieran Morrison described Pedersen as a "great guy" and admitted it was "eye-opening" that he was "just talking to me as a person", rather than focusing purely on football, which echoes Al-Hamadi's comments about the personal qualities of the Owls boss.

Given that Wednesday's existing strikers have failed to fire in the early stages of this season, supporters will be hoping that Pedersen can form a strong relationship with Al-Hamadi and help him rediscover the form that earned him a big-money move to Ipswich two-and-a-half years ago.