Sheffield Wednesday: You may be very surprised where these 3 ex-Owls stars are playing now | OneFootball

We looked at some of the Sheffield Wednesday players who have made interesting career moves after their Hillsborough exit.

It was a busy summer transfer window for Sheffield Wednesday with a number of incomings and outgoings.

After leading Wednesday to survival last season following a remarkable turnaround, manager Danny Rohl brought in 11 new signings this summer, while key players such as Liam Palmer, Dominic Iorfa, Di'Shon Bernard, Barry Bannan and Josh Windass signed new contracts at the club.

A number of players also departed Hillsborough during the summer as Rohl rebuilt his squad, including some members of the team that won promotion from League One in the 2022-23 season.

Owls supporters will no doubt watch with interest to see how their former players get on at their new clubs, and with many moving on to other EFL sides, it will be easy to keep track of their progress.

However, some players have gone on to make surprising career moves after leaving the club, and you may be surprised to learn where these three ex-Wednesday stars are playing now.

Gary Hooper - Kettering Town

Striker Gary Hooper initially joined Wednesday on loan from Norwich City in October 2015 before making the move permanent in January 2016, and it is fair to say he became a firm fan favourite at Hillsborough.

Hooper was part of the team that reached the Championship play-offs in two consecutive seasons in 2016 and 2017 under Carlos Carvalhal, but he struggled with injuries during the latter stages of his time at the club, and he was released in the summer of 2019, departing after scoring 31 goals and providing 12 assists in 89 games for the Owls.

The 36-year-old had spells with Wellington Phoenix, Kerala Blasters, Omonia and Gulf United before joining National League side Barnet in October 2023, and he enjoyed a good start to his Bees career as he scored two goals in 10 games, but he did not feature from December onwards.

Hooper's career looked set to come to an end after leaving The Hive, but he made a shock move to Southern League Premier Division Central side Kettering Town this week, and he will be hoping to help his new club achieve promotion back to the National League North.

Saido Berahino - Rajasthan United

Striker Saido Berahino arrived at Hillsborough on a free transfer in August 2021 after his departure from Belgian side Zulte Waragem.

Berahino showed plenty of potential during the early stages of his career at West Bromwich Albion, but he failed to deliver after joining Stoke City in a deal worth £15 million in 2015, and he was plagued by off-field issues.

Eyebrows were certainly raised when Wednesday signed Berahino, but the 31-year-old proved to be a decent addition as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 36 games to help his side reach the League One play-offs, where they were beaten by Sunderland in the semi-finals.

Despite scoring some important goals over the course of the campaign, Berahino was released by the Owls at the end of the season, and he made the move to AEL Limmasol.

After scoring four goals in 44 games during his time in Cyprus, Berahino made another intriguing career move in August as he joined Indian second tier side Rajasthan United, who finished third from bottom last season.

Lucas Joao - Persepolis

Striker Lucas Joao joined Wednesday from Portuguese side Nacional in July 2015, and he scored 29 goals and provided 13 assists in 127 games for the club.

Joao initially struggled to establish himself in the Owls' team, and he was loaned out to Blackburn Rovers in the second half of the 2016-17 season, but did feature more regularly after returning from Ewood Park.

Wednesday sold Joao to Reading for a fee in the region of £5 million in July 2019, and they may have some regrets about that decision as he went on to score 45 goals in 119 appearances for the Royals.

Joao left the Select Car Leasing Stadium last summer after his side were relegated to League One, and after spells with Shanghai Port and Umm Salal, he joined Iranian outfit Persepolis in September.

Persepolis have won the Persian Gulf Pro League title in each of the last two seasons, and they look on course to secure a third consecutive title this campaign, but Joao will be hoping for more game time over the coming months having been limited to substitute appearances since his arrival.