He couldn’t get a game at Sheffield Wednesday - Now he’s conquering Turkey | OneFootball

David Bates struggled for game time on loan at Sheffield Wednesday, as the Scottish defender now sits at the top of the Turkish Süper Lig

Sheffield Wednesday have ambitions to make an immediate return to the Championship this season following their relegation to League One, as Danish head coach Henrik Pedersen has been entrusted with this important task.

Sheffield Wednesday underwent an extremely busy summer window following relegation, with the club once again allowed to sign players under the new ownership of David Storch.

Those additions have been limited to free transfers and loans, with the Owls bringing in the likes of Billy Mitchell, Callum Slattery, Davis Keillor-Dunn, Joe Lumley, and Jaden Heskey to boost their promotion hopes.

The South Yorkshire outfit have been blessed with some excellent loan players over the years, including the likes of Ross Barkley, Michail Antonio, Kenwyne Jones, and, more recently, Harry Amass.

However, some players didn't manage to perform as well at Hillsborough before shining elsewhere, including a player currently sitting pretty at the top of the Turkish top flight.

Sheffield Wednesday signed David Bates on loan from Hamburg in 2019

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Back in the summer of 2019, Sheffield Wednesday had just finished 12th in the Championship, with Steve Bruce seeing out the campaign in the dugout.

However, Bruce's reign wouldn't last much longer, as Garry Monk assumed control of the Owls following spells in charge of Swansea City, Leeds United, Middlesbrough, and Birmingham City, as the former defender looked to stamp his authority in South Yorkshire.

The likes of Massimo Luongo, Kadeem Harris, Moses Odubajo, and Jacob Murphy all signed that summer, adding to a squad already containing the likes of Barry Bannan, Steven Fletcher, Adam Reach, and Atdhe Nuhiu.

Following them through the doors was Scottish centre-back David Bates, who, after spells with Raith Rovers and Rangers, joined on loan from German outfit Hamburg. However, his impact was minimal, at best.

David Bates struggled for game time whilst on loan with Sheffield Wednesday

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Bates came through the youth system of Raith Rovers, and after loan spells with East Stirlingshire and Brechin City, joined Glasgow-based Rangers in the summer of 2016 on an initial loan, made permanent the following January, but found minutes at Ibrox difficult to come by.

He would leave after just 18 months, joining German outfit Hamburg, who were then in the 2. Bundesliga, where he made 28 appearances across all competitions, but after just one year, fell out of favour and was allowed to leave on loan, with Wednesday bringing him to South Yorkshire.

Bates made his debut in the League Cup for the Owls in a 1-0 victory away to Rotherham United, playing the full 90 minutes alongside Jordan Thorniley in the heart of defence.

As it happened, that would be his only appearance for the club, as despite appearing on the bench four times in the Championship, he would never step out onto the Hillsborough turf, as injuries and being unfavoured by Monk kept him in the dark during his entire year at the club.

David Bates is at the top of the Turkish top flight, likely to many Sheffield Wednesday supporters' surprise

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Since his spell with Wednesday, Bates has spent time with Cercle Brugge, Aberdeen, KV Mechelen, Standard Liege, and now in Türkiye with Amed Sportif, who currently sit top of the Turkish Süper Lig with four wins and one draw in their opening six league games.

Bates starred at the heart of defence in Amed's 3-2 victory over Besiktas recently, with the top-flight newcomers looking to upset the establishment, as the Scottish defender will likely play a big role in them doing so.

Playing alongside the likes of Gift Orban, Alban Lafont, and former West Bromwich Albion striker Mbaye Diagne, Bates, at 29, has had a whirlwind of a career, as now the Sheffield Wednesday reject could be about to enjoy the best chapter of his career yet, challenging the likes of Mohamed Salah, Victor Osimhen, and Dušan Vlahović for league glory in Türkiye.

Henrik Pedersen will be targeting an immediate Championship return with Sheffield Wednesday this season

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Following their relegation and entering a new era under Storch, Pedersen will be hoping to make Wednesday's stay in League One as short as he possibly can.

The Owls trailed only Bradford City in the third-tier table after seven games, and given the abundance of talent throughout their squad, it would be no surprise to see them challenging towards the very top of the league throughout much of the season.

With Bates in their back line, their chances may well have been greater, but that ship has sailed, as both the Scot and Wednesday will be aiming for glory this season on different ends of the continent.