With the season over, teams are now finalising their retained and released lists for the season, marking the end of many players’ times at their current clubs.

Blackburn Rovers have delivered their verdict following a disappointing season in the Championship, and now face a summer where they have to search for a new head coach following Michael O’Neill’s decision to turn down a permanent role at Ewood Park.

Redmond In The Market

One of the names on the released list for Rovers was veteran winger Nathan Redmond, who had only joined the club on a short-term basis in March, playing twice against Stoke City and Southampton.

He had spent the festive period at Sheffield Wednesday, joining them at a critical time as their paper-thin squad looked on the verge of breaking amid the EFL’s transfer embargo on the club due to Dejphon Chansiri’s disinterest in the final months of his ownership.

He featured seven times for the Owls between November and January, becoming a vital rotation player to give some of Henrik Pedersen’s key starters a much-needed break across a packed festive period.

Is A Return A Wise Idea?

Now, with the club on much safer ground thanks to David Storch’s takeover at Hillsborough, combined with the decision to reverse any points penalty they would have received heading down into League One next season, Wednesday can focus on getting their recruitment done to try and bounce back into the Championship at the first time of asking.

While no new faces have entered the building as of yet, they are already looking to throw some financial weight around, with the Owls linked with Reading midfielder Charlie Savage, facing second-tier competition for his signature.

However, as has been the case for recent windows, Wednesday may want to utilise the free agent market, and Redmond could be a dependable squad option to have heading into next season.

The former Norwich City man has stated he feels he can still offer a lot in the game at 32 years old, and has expressed interest in wanting to finally transition into a youth coaching role during his final years playing the sport.

Due to their circumstances, Wednesday have a large crop of academy stars that are on the fringes of the first team, emerging as options due to the restrictions placed on incomings over the past few years.

While they lost Bailey Cadamarteri in January to Wrexham, and have seen 20-year-old goalkeeper Pierce Charles linked with moves elsewhere following the end of the season, there are still some emerging talents at the club, such as 17-year-old Will Grainger and 19-year-old Joe Emery, both of whom made infrequent appearances across the campaign.

In that dual player-coach role, Redmond could become a useful asset to bring back to South Yorkshire, backing up whatever signings Henrik Pedersen makes over the coming months on the wings, while supporting the Dane in the backroom and on the training pitch.