Sheffield Wednesday laughed loudest at Cardiff City transfer – Neil Warnock wouldn’t have done it | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday struck gold with the signing of Callum Paterson from Cardiff City in 2020.

Versatile Scotland international Callum Paterson, who has enjoyed a fruitful EFL career, went on to achieve cult hero status at Sheffield Wednesday, but that is something that will frustrate Cardiff City.

Having come through the academy in Edinburgh at Heart of Midlothian, Callum Paterson went on to make over 150 appearances for the Jam Tarts before moving down to Wales to enter into English football in 2017.

Under the management of Neil Warnock, utility man Paterson became a key man for Cardiff as they gained an unlikely automatic promotion to the Premier League in the 2017/18 campaign, finishing as runners’ up behind Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Paterson remained a key man in the Premier League, too, before falling out of favour in the COVID-19 impacted 2019/20 season, which led to his departure to Sheffield Wednesday.

With the Owls, Paterson made nearly 200 appearances over five seasons before departing for Milton Keynes Dons in the summer of 2025 after leading an impressive legacy at Hillsborough.

The fact he was able to have such an impact in South Yorkshire will actually be of fairly immense regret for Cardiff supporters, especially with what followed at the Cardiff City Stadium.

Callum Paterson had been a good servant to Cardiff

Soccer Football - FA Cup - Fourth Round - Sheffield Wednesday v Fleetwood Town - Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, Britain - January 28, 2023 Fleetwood Town's Aristote Nsiala and Sheffield Wednesday's Callum Paterson in action Action Images/Ed Sykes

Following his move from Hearts, Neil Warnock was able to get the very best out of Callum Paterson and turn him into a key figure that helped them fly through the Championship.

The London-born Scotland international struck double figures for goals during the Bluebirds’ promotion-winning campaign, playing in a variety of positions from left-back on full debut to right-back, defensive midfield, the right wing-back role, an attacking midfield position, out-wide on the right and even up-front.

His positional and tactical versatility summarised the endeavour and industry that he put onto the pitch for Cardiff with a team-first mentality that embodies the very best of a Warnock-led team.

In the Premier League, Paterson again ensured he was an invaluable member of the squad with a flexibility desired by pretty much any coach – perhaps any coach bar Neil Harris.

Having been a key man for Warnock, Paterson became something of a peripheral figure for Harris, finishing the season by being an unused substitute in their play-off semi-final first-leg at home to Fulham before then making a nine-minute cameo in the second-leg at Craven Cottage.

With that, Sheffield Wednesday pounced on a deal that probably wouldn’t have possible had Warnock still be in charge because he would have been unlikely to let it happen.

Sheffield Wednesday struck gold with Callum Paterson

For what was an undisclosed fee, Sheffield Wednesday had managed to poach someone who had been a regular for a team that gained promotion just a couple of seasons before.

In fact, Paterson’s time in English football had been pretty much a positive one throughout and now his task was to help propel Wednesday to the top-flight but, instead, mismanagement both on and off the pitch saw the Owls flounder.

In his first season, Wednesday were surprisingly relegated after a woeful campaign but Paterson himself remained an asset for the club with eight goals, finishing as their top scorer.

The 2017/18 Cardiff City Young Player of the Year stuck at it at Hillsborough and eventually ensured Wednesday returned to the second-tier, performing a key role for Darren Moore in League One.

Not only did Paterson play a key role in helping Wednesday get back up but he was then a fundamental reason as to why they stayed up with his experience and adaptability proving pivotal, especially under the management of Danny Rohl.

Paterson was a player with his technical limitations for Cardiff but he was more than useful and his work ethic is certainly something Cardiff could have done with as they circled the drain towards eventual relegation last season.