Sheffield Wednesday: Derby County flashpoint could change Danny Rohl transfer stance | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday forward Callum Paterson made a crucial contribution after coming off the bench in the 2-1 win at Derby County on Sunday.

It has been an excellent week for Sheffield Wednesday in the Championship as they recorded back-to-back victories.

After a comfortable 2-0 win at Hull City on Tuesday night, Wednesday secured their second consecutive win as they beat Derby County 2-1 at Pride Park on Sunday and it was the first time they had tasted success in that particular stadium for 18 years.

The Owls made a poor start to the game and they deservedly fell behind early on when Ebou Adams fired home for the Rams but they improved significantly in the second half.

Barry Bannan's outstanding long-range strike levelled the scores in the 64th minute, and just as the match looked to be heading for a draw, Wednesday won it in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Jamal Lowe finished from close range to seal all three points.

The win sees Danny Rohl's side continue their progress up the table, and they are currently in 12th place, just five points from the play-offs ahead of the game against Preston North End at Hillsborough on Saturday.

With winnable fixtures against the likes of Preston, Oxford United and Stoke City to come over the next few weeks, Rohl's full focus will be on closing the gap to the top six, but his attention may soon start to turn to the January transfer window.

Callum Paterson facing uncertain Sheffield Wednesday future

It seems that planning is already underway for the January transfer window at Hillsborough, with Rohl confirming he is targeting "impact players", and that would suggest more Premier League loans could be on the cards after the success of the deals for James Beadle and Shea Charles.

However, with new arrivals likely, that could lead to the departures of some of those who have struggled for game time this season, and one such player is forward Callum Paterson.

Paterson joined Wednesday from Cardiff City in September 2020 and he has played in a host of positions over the last four-and-a-half years, including centre-back, right-back, wing-back, central midfield, out wide, and up front.

After returning from injury towards the back end of last season, Paterson helped the Owls secure their Championship status, and the club decided to take up their option to extend his contract by a further year this summer.

However, Paterson surprisingly found himself out of favour at the start of the season, and while he did feature in the EFL Cup, his first league appearance of the campaign did not come until early October, when he was introduced as a late substitute in the 2-1 win at Coventry City.

Paterson has made five further substitute appearances since then and his contribution after coming off the bench against Derby on Sunday will have given Rohl food for thought ahead of January.

With Wednesday chasing the victory at Pride Park, Paterson was introduced from the bench in the 79th minute in place of Michael Smith and it is fair to say he made a big impact.

Shortly after coming on, Paterson suffered a dislocated finger but he returned to the action after a brief period of medical attention, showing the kind of commitment and determination that has made him a firm fan favourite at Hillsborough over the years.

With time running out, Paterson contributed to the game's decisive moment when he played a delightful ball across the box for Lowe to slot home from close range to secure the victory for the Owls.

The Star claimed in August that Paterson was free to leave if the club received a suitable offer and given his lack of minutes in the opening stages of the season, many assumed Wednesday would take a similar stance in January but Rohl's post-match comments at Pride Park suggest that the 30-year-old may be forcing his way back into his plans.

"We know what he gives us, I think in such a game this is a good fit for him. You can bring something different in. I think we know Anthony Musaba and Djeidi Gassama, these are different players but in such a game it is always good to have him on the bench as a sub making an impact. He gets a big, big credit," Rohl told The Star.

"What great willingness from Pato to get the ball across and Jamal to be in the right area. I showed some clips last night from him again. I said 'Jamal, come on. You can do it, you have his feeling in the box'. Sometimes it happens."

Of course, Rohl does seem to indicate that he sees Paterson as more of an impact substitute than a starter, and at this stage of his career, that will be a concern for the Scot as he is no doubt keen to be playing regular football.

However, while Paterson's versatility and physical presence are two of his biggest assets, he proved with his assist against Derby that he is capable of producing moments of quality with the ball at his feet, and with the likes of Musaba and Gassama struggling for consistency, he could get more opportunities to impress over the busy festive period.

It still seems unlikely that Paterson will be given a new contract by the Owls in the summer but Rohl should be cautious about sanctioning his departure in January as he could certainly have plenty to offer in the second half of the season.