Surprise 2016 signing for Sheffield Wednesday will go down as one of the club's worst: View | OneFootball

The signing of Urby Emanuelson in 2016 is one that Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be desperate to forget.

Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping for a much-improved campaign in the Championship this season.

After narrowly avoiding relegation last season following a remarkable turnaround under Danny Rohl, there is plenty of optimism that the Owls can climb the table in the year ahead.

Expectations have not been this high at Hillsborough since Carlos Carvalhal's time in charge, when Wednesday reached the Championship play-offs in two consecutive seasons between 2015 and 2017.

Owner Dejphon Chansiri spent big during Carvalhal's reign as he looked to deliver on his target of achieving promotion to the Premier League within his first two years at the club, and while there were some big successes in the transfer market, there were also some incredibly underwhelming signings.

The likes of Almen Abdi and Jordan Rhodes were arguably the most disappointing considering the vast amount of money spent on them, but perhaps no player made less of an impact in South Yorkshire than Urby Emanuelson, who joined the Owls on a free transfer in September 2016.

Urby Emanuelson arrival raised eyebrows among Sheffield Wednesday supporters

Emanuelson had enjoyed an illustrious career prior to his arrival at Hillsborough, spending time with the likes of Ajax, AC Milan, Fulham, Roma, Atalanta and Hellas Verona.

The 38-year-old, who could play at left-back, in central midfield or out wide, had won the Serie A title with AC Milan and multiple trophies with Ajax, while he had also made 17 appearances for the Netherlands at international level, so he was certainly a statement signing for a Championship club.

Speaking after his move to Wednesday was confirmed, Emanuelson said that Carvalhal's faith in him was a key factor in his decision to join the club, and he also revealed that he would be among the top earners.

"I understand that clubs are doubting me. But at Sheffield they showed that they want me. It was not 'come first for a trial'," Emanuelson said, quoted by The Sun.

"They offered me a good contract. I am equal in salary in the top group. (This) also shows confidence in me, so this is not a gamble for me.

"I need to play matches again.bThat's why Sheffield is a good move, because they played last season fifty games.

"They're playing now about forty regular league matches and I think I need to be playing regularly.

"The coach said that he has a lot of confidence in me and that I need.

"He wants to use me in the first place as left-back, but everyone knows how my career has been, I can still end up in the midfield."

While there was plenty of excitement about Emanuelson's arrival, it was a surprise to see the Owls sign him as a free agent after the transfer window had closed, particularly as they had done some strong business during the summer.

It was unclear where Emanuelson would fit into the team, and given that he had struggled for game time during his brief spells with Roma, Atalanta and Hellas Verona over the previous few years, some questioned whether it was sensible for the club to sign a player whose career seemed to be in decline.

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be desperate to forget Urby Emanuelson signing

Those who had reservations about the signing of Emanuelson proved to be correct, and his spell at Hillsborough was nothing short of a disaster.

After struggling with injury issues throughout the season, Emanuelson finally made his debut for the Owls as a late substitute in the 2-1 home defeat to Fulham on the final day of the campaign.

It was a game with little significance given that Wednesday and Fulham had already secured their places in the play-offs, and it would turn out to be Emanuelson's only appearance for the club as, unsurprisingly, he was released at the end of his contract that summer.

Emanuelson played just 16 minutes in an Owls shirt, making him one of the most underwhelming signings in the club's history, and it will be even more frustrating for Chansiri considering the big wages the Dutchman received.

According to Capology, Emanuelson is estimated to have earned £25,000 per week and £1,300,000 a year at Wednesday, which made him their joint-fourth highest paid contracted player in the 2016-17 season.

After being released by the Owls, Emanuelson made the move to FC Utretcht, and he enjoyed a decent five-year spell with the Eredivisie side before retiring in 2022, scoring four goals and providing 11 assists in 96 appearances.