David Storch met with Sheffield Wednesday icon in weeks before takeover completion | OneFootball

A Sheffield Wednesday favourite has been speaking about a meeting he had with David Storch ahead of the takeover.

Only months have passed since David Storch's takeover at Sheffield Wednesday, but already the South Yorkshire outfit feels like a club reborn.

The Owls are flying high in League One, perched at the top of the table after taking 13 points from their opening six games, with performances suggesting this run of form can be sustained throughout the season.

Storch has been responsible for the revolution at Hillsborough, having overseen a summer overhaul after the mess left by previous owner Dejphon Chansiri.

Now, a Wednesday legend has spoken out about a conversation he had with the American executive just days before his takeover of the third-tier club.

Sheffield Wednesday favourite David Hirst shares details of David Storch meeting

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Storch's consortium, Arise Capital Partners, completed its takeover of Sheffield Wednesday on May 2, the day of the final match of the season against West Brom.

Despite a dismal campaign of struggle, caused by the poor ownership of Chansiri, Henrik Pedersen's side managed to deliver the sellout crowd some much-needed joy with a 2-1 victory over the Baggies, marking a positive start to Storch's reign.

From the outside, it is difficult to know the preparations that go into a takeover and the conversations that happen behind the scenes, but from what Wednesday legend David Hirst has been saying, it seems the American put in the groundwork to ensure he understood the club inside out.

"We met just before the takeover in a little restaurant in Sheffield," Hirst told the Daily Mail.

"We had a great chat about plans they had if the takeover came to fruition. I was sold from the start.

"It was all about reconnecting and finding out who and what they needed to know to get our club back where it belongs.

How Storch has already given Wednesday fans reason for optimism

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Before the takeover, Storch told BBC Radio Sheffield: "The fans will own the club, we will be the custodians," and while that is a bold statement to make, it was a deliberate move to get supporters onside for his ownership.

That bond between the club and supporters had been broken under the previous regime, but fans still turned up to watch their team regardless of results and yearned for people with the right intentions.

The summer was always going to be an incredibly important period for the South Yorkshire side, given how thin the squad had become, but additions have been positive, with the likes of Louie Barry, Callum Slattery and Reece James among the club's top performers.

Not only have the right players arrived, but Storch has hired the right staff to ensure plans come to fruition, with the appointment of David Bruce as CEO a smart move given his successful work at Sunderland.

Clearly, and maybe most importantly, Storch did his homework before completing his takeover, having important conversations with those close to the club, and that comes across when he speaks with passion about Sheffield Wednesday.

Why Louie Barry's absence could halt Owls' progress

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While it has been a superb start to the season for Pedersen's side, Saturday afternoon's goalless draw with Wigan Athletic revealed one area of concern.

The Owls had the lion's share of possession on home soil but failed to create any big chances, with their xG (expected goals) of 0.61 eclipsed by Wigan's 1.49.

Indeed, it was the absence of Barry, who has been in phenomenal form for Wednesday, that was a significant miss, with his creativity highlighted by three goals and one assist.

The winger is expected to be out until early December with an ankle ligament injury he sustained in the 2-1 away win against Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park at the start of the month.