Sheffield Wednesday struck gold with Cardiff City deal - legacy could now be in tatters though | OneFootball

Mark McGuinness has recently signed for Wednesday's cross-city rivals

Sheffield Wednesday supporters haven't had much to shout about in recent times, and those frustrations would have only deepened after seeing an old Hillsborough favourite join their bitter, cross-city rivals.

The Owls' plight from Championship promotion contenders almost a decade ago towards stints in League One and potential oblivion under the controversial ownership of Dejphon Chansiri, but there has still been the occasional glimmer of light provided by a selection of standout performers in S6 throughout said period.

That was certainly the case throughout Darren Moore's two-year spell at Hillsborough, even though the ex-West Bromwich Albion boss oversaw Wednesday's first two seasons in the third-tier since 2011/12, with the Owls hitting the transfer jackpot with a deal involving Cardiff City.

Sheffield Wednesday saw the best of Mark McGuinness after striking Cardiff City loan agreement

In a bid to make a return to the Championship as swiftly as possible, a plethora of eye-catching deals were plotted by Moore as the Owls sought to rectify their agonising defeat to Sunderland in the League One play-off semi-finals back in May 2022.

Unsurprisingly, the fallen giants from South Yorkshire were, once again, made immediate favourites for promotion, such was the stature of the club and resources available - despite Chansiri being in the boardroom - in comparison to an array of their third-tier rivals.

This was also a major pull in attracting players from the Championship in need of regular minutes, as Moore reshuffled his defensive department with additions such as Akin Famewo, Michael Ihiekwe and the loan capture of Mark McGuinness on loan from Cardiff.

The Slough-born defender had previously been a product of the 'Hale End' academy setup at Arsenal, and despite featuring regularly for the Bluebirds in his first season in South Wales, a temporary exit was sanctioned in order to enhance his development.

McGuinness' impact on the Wednesday defence was immediate, slotting straight into a side which kept three clean sheets in his opening four league appearances, winning those games by an aggregate score of 10-0.

The one-time Republic of Ireland international continued to impress, also scoring his only goal for the club in a narrow success over Shrewsbury Town, with the side battling it out alongside the likes of Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town in automatic promotion contention.

As such, it seemed a given that he would be recalled by Cardiff after just six months due to his stellar performances, and that would pan out after the centre-back played a key role in a shock 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at Hillsborough in the FA Cup Third Round.

Mark McGuinness' Sheffield Wednesday legacy has already been tarnished by Sheffield United move

Those in S6 were immediately aware of the potential which McGuinness could fulfil, and that was eventually proven by the fact Luton Town would part with £10m for his services after continuing his upward trajectory in South Wales in the 2023/24 season.

However, just a year after moving to Kenilworth Road amid the Hatters' immediate fall from the Premier League back into League One, the former Hillsborough favourite has somewhat tarnished his legacy among supporters by signing for Sheffield United on Deadline Day on a four-year contract.

Despite it remaining to be seen whether McGuinness will source regular minutes at Bramall Lane due to the sheer amount of defensive counterparts, it is no surprise that the main talking point surrounding this deal has been his switch across the Steel City divide, with the centre-back also giving his stance on the matter.