Sheffield Wednesday can follow Cardiff City example - David Storch would love it | OneFootball

Relegation to League One could be the perfect reset opportunity for some of the youngsters at Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday's fate as a League One club for next season was sealed all the way back in February, with a gruelling old campaign taking place at Hillsborough.

It's been a mentally draining season for all Wednesday fans, staff and the players, too, with their relegation essentially in the pipeline since the offseason due to Dejphon Chansiri's actions in the final few months of his reign.

Wednesday's squad was gutted in the summer, with numerous stars departing for free due to breaches in contract after numerous late wage payments. Even those who did command a fee, like Djeidi Gassama, left for a fraction of what he was worth.

Those players were not replaced, mainly due to transfer restrictions being placed on the club back in June as a consequence of those late wage payments.

That, plus the aftereffects of an administrative period which has taken over six months to complete, has meant that morale has been low and Wednesday have not been competitive in the Championship this season, failing to even break into a positive points tally after being docked 18 points across the year.

But, with a third-tier return on the cards, there could be some cause for optimism if Wednesday follows in Cardiff City's footsteps and uses the relegation to bed in young prospects.

Cardiff City's League One relegation opened doors for young prospects this season

This time last year, Cardiff fans were fearing the worst. Their six-year stay in the Championship had ended, but not because they were making a Premier League return, but because they were heading to League One for the first time since the 2002/03 campaign.

Given how quickly the Bluebirds had gotten stale in the second tier since their top-flight parachute payments dried up, and the fact that their summer transfer window was uneventful, bringing in just three players, some critics predicted that they would struggle this season.

But, under new boss Brian Barry-Murphy, Cardiff have been one of the more dominant sides this season across the EFL, and the excellence of Lincoln City is the only thing denying them a third-tier title.

One of the main reasons why the Bluebirds have excelled, though, is that there have been numerous 'coming of age' moments in the side for some of their academy products. Trimming some of the deadwood in the Championship squad and not really replacing them has put much-needed trust in a young side, and they've pulled through.

The likes of Dylan Lawlor, Joel Colwill and Ronan Kpakio have hardly played before this season, while players such as Cian Ashford, Will Fish and Joel Bagan have all stepped up to play key roles throughout the campaign.

It's been too easy at times for Cardiff, and many are looking forward to seeing what these players who have transitioned into main characters can do back in the Championship next season.

Sheffield Wednesday have plenty of youngsters they can set loose in League One next season

The nature of the Wednesday squad this season has meant that several youngsters have had first-team exposure in the Championship, and as seen with Cardiff next year, trusting in young talents isn't the worst strategy in the third tier.

Plenty of youngsters have played league minutes for Wednesday this season, and while some of them are loan stars, or Pierce Charles, and likely won't be at Hillsborough next season, Sean Fusire, Will Grainger, George Brown, Ernie Weaver, Reece Johnson, and Charlie McNiell all likely will, and there's even more to add to that list, too!

With an added morale boost, having new ownership through the door come the start of the new season, plus the drop in competition, these youngsters will all have opportunities to prove themselves further next year.

Granted, Sheffield Wednesday definitely won't be targeting League One promotion next season. Their 2026/27 campaign will be one to rebuild and look to overcome a 15-point deduction to avoid being relegated once again to the fourth tier.

But, David Storch and his Arise consortium can definitely look to build the foundations of their rebuild through the young stars already in the building, while leaning on personnel such as Liam Palmer, Dom Iorfa and Jamal Lowe, plus any other experienced heads they can bring in to provide that balance.

The future is bright at Hillsborough, and there'll be plenty of excitement to see how it all unfolds in League One next year.