Danny Rohl saw what Leeds United, Sunderland AFC couldn’t at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Ian Poveda's Owls spell continues to be a bright spot in a difficult career

As Sheffield Wednesday’s off-field crisis continues, it is easy to forget how coherent the club briefly looked under Danny Rohl.

During the second half of the 2023-24 season, Wednesday operated with clarity and purpose, completing a remarkable escape from relegation despite severe financial and recruitment constraints.

Rohl’s success was built less on volume than precision. Working largely within the loan market, he targeted players who fit his tactical demands and his immediate objective: survival.

One of the most effective, if statistically modest, was Ian Poveda - a winger Leeds United had failed to develop, and Sunderland would later misjudge.

Ian Poveda’s Sheffield Wednesday loan showed his Championship value

Poveda arrived at Hillsborough on loan from Leeds United at the end of January 2024, with Wednesday still anchored in the relegation zone.

Rohl had improved structure and intensity since his appointment in October, but his side lacked ball-carrying quality in wide areas and struggled to sustain pressure in the final third.

Poveda addressed that immediately. He made 10 appearances, eight of them starts, registering just one assist, but his influence went beyond his end product.

He offered direct running, resisted pressure well and repeatedly drew defenders out of shape. Opposition sides routinely doubled up on him, creating space elsewhere - particularly for fellow loanee Ike Ugbo.

The turning point came in early February against Birmingham City, a pivotal six-pointer. Poveda’s first start saw him provide the assist for Ugbo and consistently stretch Birmingham’s back line.

Wednesday won, and followed it with five victories in their next six matches - a run that formed the backbone of their survival.

Injuries limited Poveda’s availability from March onwards, and he missed much of the run-in. By then, however, his contribution had already been made.

The Owls stayed up without him, but the momentum of their revival was built during the period in which he was central to Rohl’s attacking structure.

Rohl understood Poveda’s limitations. He did not ask him to be a high-output winger, nor a consistent goal threat. Instead, he used him as a tactical disruptor - someone who could destabilise opponents and shift territory.

It was a narrow role, but one Poveda executed effectively.

Ian Poveda’s struggles since leaving Sheffield Wednesday - Sunderland must regret transfer

That clarity has not followed Poveda elsewhere. After his release from Leeds United in the summer of 2024, Sunderland moved quickly to sign him on a long-term deal.

The theory was obvious: a technically gifted winger, still only 25, coming off a productive Championship loan.

In practice, it has unravelled. Injuries once again interrupted his rhythm, restricting him to six substitute appearances during Sunderland’s promotion campaign.

Even when fit, he failed to force his way into the Black Cats’ side. By February 2025, head coach Regis Le Bris had omitted him from squads for internal reasons not related to injury.

As Sunderland surged towards promotion, Poveda became increasingly peripheral, finishing the season outside the first-team picture and now operating largely with the club’s under-21s.

This is not a new story. Leeds never found a consistent role for him across four seasons. Sunderland offered opportunity but not structure. Only at Sheffield Wednesday was there a clear understanding of what Poveda was, and what he was not.

Rohl’s judgement now looks sound. Wednesday made a costly error by signing Ugbo permanently, but avoiding a similar commitment to Poveda may prove fortunate given their financial position.

His Sunderland spell has underlined the risks: limited availability, low output and uncertain reliability.

Poveda’s time at Hillsborough was not a false dawn, but it was a reminder that certain players function best within very specific frameworks.