Blackburn Rovers eyeing Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen | OneFootball

Blackburn Rovers are searching for a new head coach after Michael O'Neill's exit

Sheffield Wednesday are preparing for life in League One after a difficult year under Henrik Pedersen.

The Owls endured a season of off-field issues, with the club going into administration in October.

New owners Arise Capital were only installed prior to the final day of the campaign, with the Yorkshire outfit struggling for results before beating West Brom in front of a packed Hillsborough in their last fixture in the Championship.

The victory over the Baggies was only their second win in the league, leaving the team on zero points after 46 games as a result of being docked a combined total of 18 by the EFL.

Blackburn Rovers were one of the main beneficiaries of Sheffield Wednesday’s difficult campaign, as they survived relegation by just five points.

The Lancashire outfit finished 20th in the table, and are now searching for a new manager following Michael O’Neill’s exit at the conclusion of the campaign.

Blackburn Rovers eye shock Sheffield Wednesday move

It has been reported by the Wednesday Word that Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen has admiration from Blackburn, as well as clubs on the continent.

The Dane has received praise for how he has handled the Owls’ difficult year, managing a limited squad to respectable results, even if they could only muster two wins.

It’s expected that he will remain in charge at Hillsborough under the new owners, and that he is happy to turn down interest from elsewhere.

The 48-year-old initially joined Sheffield Wednesday as part of Danny Rohl’s coaching staff, but took over as head coach when the German departed the club last summer.

Rohl had guided the Owls to 20th and 12th place finishes before exiting ahead of the start of the season.

Pedersen’s work at Hillsborough over the campaign has led to him receiving a lot of credit, which has garnered the attention of Blackburn.

Rovers are seeking a new head coach after O’Neill’s exit, with Slaven Bilic also linked with the vacancy.

It’s understood that Pedersen has no interest in making the switch to Ewood Park at this time, as Sheffield Wednesday prepare for a busy summer of rebuilding the first team squad.

O’Neill took over at Blackburn in February after Valerien Ismael’s departure, while also remaining in charge of the Northern Ireland national team.

But he has vacated his position with Rovers in order to return full-time to his role with the Northern Ireland FA, leaving the club without a head coach for the start of the summer.

Henrik Pedersen is best off staying with Sheffield Wednesday

Pedersen endured a difficult year at Sheffield Wednesday, and is now set to be rewarded by getting to oversee the rebuild of the first team squad.

That’s an exciting opportunity under the new owners, and one he should see through instead of taking on another role in England, or on the continent.

The 48-year-old is settled at Hillsborough, having spent the last few years with the club, and he now has a chance to really build something special over the next couple of seasons.

It is noteworthy that his work is garnering such attention given how many games Sheffield Wednesday lost last year, and is a testament to how results didn’t reflect the effort that went into keeping the team somewhat competitive.