Sheffield Wednesday plot move for ex-Rotherham United manager | OneFootball

Wednesday are believed to be interested in reuniting with former player Matt Hamshaw, who was most recently the manager at Rotherham United.

Sheffield Wednesday are in the hunt for coaching back-up for Henrik Pedersen, and their interest has reportedly settled on former player Matt Hamshaw.

Under new ownership and full of an optimism that has been markedly absent from the club in recent years, Sheffield Wednesday are having a busy summer. Their purchase by Arise Capital at the end of last season finally closed the book on Dejphon Chansiri's disastrous decade as the club's owner, and they are now plotting a quick return to the Championship following relegation at the end of 2025-26.

And one of the names that they are interested in adding to their coaching staff will be familiar to Wednesday fans. Not only was Matt Hamshaw most recently the manager of another South Yorkshire club, Rotherham United, but he started his playing career with Sheffield Wednesday more than a quarter of a century ago.

Former Rotherham boss Matt Hamshaw is of interest to Sheffield Wednesday

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Alex Miller of the Sheffield Star reports that Sheffield Wednesday are in the hunt for Matt Hamshaw as they seek to build their coaching base under manager Henrik Pedersen in preparation for their assault on League One in 2026-27.

Miller reports that Wednesday are in the market for new coaching staff after Craig Mudd for Manchester City, and that they've already held talks with Hamshaw about potentially filling this vacancy.

Wednesday may not be alone in their pursuit of him, though. Miller reports that "Hamshaw has been of interest to Premier League clubs", though he also adds that Hamshaw was at the 1-0 win against Bolton Wanderers in the EFL Cup which kicked off their 2026-27 season.

Hamshaw is highly experienced in League One, having managed both Rotherham and Derby County at this level, and this level of experience could be very important to Wednesday, if they're to make their stay in the third tier a brief one.

What Sheffield Wednesday fans are saying about a possible Matt Hamshaw return to Hillsborough

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The possibility of Matt Hamshaw returning to Hillsborough has provoked a lot of comment online from Sheffield Wednesday fans.

This Wednesdayite is unimpressed by Hamshaw's record at Rotherham United:

But this fan has heard good things about his abilities as a coach:

This Rotherham fan feels that Hamshaw had a tough job at his club, and would be a good addition to Wednesday's backroom staff:

And this Wednesday fan is troubled by some of the negativity that he's seen from his club's supporters this summer:

Matt Hamshaw's history with Sheffield Wednesday goes back more than a quarter of a century

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It's now been more than 25 years since Matt Hamshaw started his senior playing career at Hillsborough. Having come through the club's academy system, he made 88 appearances for Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions before being released by the club in 2005.

Hamshaw spent a decade working in various coaching positions at Rotherham United following his retirement, before being appointed as a first-team coach at Derby County in 2022, working under Paul Warne. He had a brief spell as their caretaker head coach when Warne was sacked in February 2025.

The following month, he was on his way back to Rotherham, this time as head coach, but his return to the club was not a success. He was sacked in March 2026 with the Millers six points from safety in League One, and they did end up being relegated, alongside Exeter City, Port Vale and Northampton Town.

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Hamshaw's return in a coaching capacity could be very much to the benefit of Sheffield Wednesday. He's highly experienced in League One, and while his spell as a head coach at Rotherham didn't work out, he has a strong reputation as a coach in a broader sense.

Since Wednesday are seeking to make a quick return to the Championship, his addition will provide greater support to Henrik Pedersen, who himself has a point to prove after Sheffield Wednesday's calamitous relegation from the second tier at the end of last season.

With Chansiri now long gone, Pedersen will be expected to deliver this time around, and the early signs have been encouraging. Sheffield Wednesday's win against Bolton demonstrated that they have already started moving in the right direction. If they can keep that momentum going, they may well be challengers in League One, come the end of 2026-27.