Industry expert backs Sheffield Wednesday’s behind‑the‑scenes hire to spark an ‘amazing’ club rebuild

Sheffield Wednesday could be making a smart move by appointing David Bruce as their next chief executive.

That is the view of former Everton chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking to Football Insider, after he delved into Bruce’s background at Sunderland.

Bruce is currently Chief Business Officer at the Stadium of Light, but he will leave his role at the end of the season.

The consortium, led by David Storch, which is looking to complete a takeover of Sheffield Wednesday, have lined up Bruce to become the club’s new chief executive should a deal go through.

Storch is looking to take over the Championship club by May 1st, in time to lay the foundations before the Owls begin next season in League One.

Sheffield Wednesday have ‘good foundations’ for future growth

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness, who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs, believes Bruce has the pedigree to build Sheffield Wednesday back up.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Bruce will be inheriting a similar situation to when he first joined Sunderland in 2023.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I haven’t met David, but I’ve had a good look at what he’s done at Sunderland, and he’s certainly done some solid stuff.

“What would attract him to Sheffield Wednesday is obviously the comeback story that could be made there. He knows there is the raw material in terms of the fan base. In a funny way, it’s similar to Sunderland in the sense that they’ve had the shadow of another club, and they’ve had to dig deeper into their own fan base and create more deals, and they’ve done that successfully.

“Sheffield Wednesday is going to be an amazing story if somebody gets it right. He’s there for the longer term to lay good foundations, which he seems to be very capable of doing. But it isn’t just going to be like you’ve got three or four years to get this right.

“From day one, David’s going to have to get them right and put the foundations in place that can grow. He’s certainly capable, he’s young enough to have the energy and the ability to do it. He’s well thought of within the game, and so he’s got every chance.

“For Sheffield Wednesday, that’s a good signing, and it’s a shame for Sunderland that they’re losing him. So overall, it’s a thumbs up from me, and I wish him the best of luck in what he’s going to do.”

David Storch could take legal action against EFL

If Storch’s takeover of the club is completed then the EFL have confirmed that Sheffield Wednesday will be deducted 15 points next season in League One.

Wyness told Football Insider that EFL chiefs should reconsider Sheffield Wednesday’s punishment amid the dire situation the club have found themselves in this season, and that Storch could take legal action.

The Yorkshire club have been deducted a total of 18 points this season for breaching EFL regulations after going into administration.

Relegation to League One was confirmed in February against rivals Sheffield United, and a 15-point deduction next season will put them at serious risk of another drop to League Two.

The post Industry expert backs Sheffield Wednesday’s behind‑the‑scenes hire to spark an ‘amazing’ club rebuild appeared first on Football Insider.