Sheffield Wednesday urged to re-sign 'solid' player who left in 2024 | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit believes the Owls should re-sign former defender Reece James after he returned to the club on trial.

It has been a busy summer for Sheffield Wednesday, but it seems their recruitment drive is far from over, with Reece James someone who could potentially return to Hillsborough.

Wednesday were relegated from the Championship last season after a nightmare campaign that saw them spend over six months in administration, but a new era is underway at Hillsborough following the takeover by David Storch's Arise Capital Partners consortium.

Henrik Pedersen weighing up move for former Sheffield Wednesday favourite

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Wednesday have brought in 12 new signings so far this summer as they rebuild their squad, with Joe Lumley, Connal Trueman, Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Ricardo Santos, Sil Swinkels, Jordi Liongola, Billy Mitchell, Callum Slattery, Barry Bannan, Louie Barry, Harry Gray and Mason Burstow all arriving in S6.

It seems there could soon be further new faces, with Wrexham midfielder George Dobson the latest name to be linked with the Owls, while former defender Reece James may be set to make a surprise return to Hillsborough.

James initially joined Wednesday on loan from Blackpool in the summer of 2022, and he scored one goal in 34 appearances in the 2022-23 season to help the club to promotion from League One, with his strike coming in the memorable play-off semi-final second leg comeback victory over Peterborough United.

The 32-year-old's loan was turned into a permanent deal after his role in the Owls' promotion success, but he fell out of favour during the following season under both Xisco Munoz and Danny Rohl, making just 11 appearances in all competitions before being released at the end of the campaign.

James spent the last two years with Rotherham United, but he was released by the Millers this summer following their relegation to League Two, and after a trial with Bradford City earlier in pre-season, he has now linked up with Wednesday.

The defender featured for the Owls in their pre-season clash at Accrington Stanley on Saturday, and while manager Henrik Pedersen refused to confirm post-match whether he was considering offering him a contract, he is continuing to train with the squad this week.

Sheffield Wednesday fan verdict issued on potential Reece James return

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When asked for his thoughts on the situation, FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit Patrick McKenna admitted that re-signing former players is far from ideal, but he insisted that James could be an asset for the Owls in League One this season.

"I get why some fans feel that going back to old players all the time isn't the best solution, but I think it depends on the player," Patrick told FLW.

"I think Reece James would be a solid addition to a League One squad.

"Last time round, he was a good player for us, and I possibly would have kept him on in the Championship.

"If you have Reece James and Max Lowe competing at left-back in League One, that's probably something that not many clubs in the division could compete with.

"It's not similar to someone like Forestieri, it's more a case of bringing back an experienced professional, so I would be in favour of it."

Sheffield Wednesday should consider Max Lowe factor as Reece James decision looms

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James was a popular figure during his time at Hillsborough, and the reaction to his appearance in Saturday's pre-season friendly suggests that his return would be well received by the majority of the Wednesday fanbase.

After signing a new contract with the Owls this summer, Max Lowe is likely to be Pedersen's first choice left-back in the upcoming campaign, but the 29-year-old has suffered plenty of injury issues in recent years, so cover will be needed.

With that in mind, adding a solid and reliable performer like James to provide back-up to Lowe would be a sensible move, and having starred in a left centre-back role in a back three during Wednesday's promotion campaign three seasons ago, he would also provide Pedersen with useful versatility should he wish to switch formations.