Sheffield Wednesday are expected to add former Carlisle United and Rangers defender Clint Hill to their coaching staff following Dave Challinor’s appointment.
The 48-year-old is being lined up to continue a partnership which began at Hartlepool United and developed during their time together at Stockport County.
Clint Hill expected to join Sheffield Wednesday
The Star reports that Hill was among the figures Wednesday spoke to directly during their search for a new manager. Further additions to the backroom team remain possible as Challinor prepares to take charge at Hillsborough.
Hill’s anticipated arrival would reunite the new Owls boss with a familiar assistant, with the pair having worked together at Stockport since November 2021. Their time at Edgeley Park included the National League title in 2022 and the League Two championship two years later, taking County back into the third tier.
His route into coaching began at Fleetwood Town in May 2018, when he joined Joey Barton’s staff shortly after retiring as a player. He subsequently followed Barton to Bristol Rovers in February 2021, leaving that August for personal family reasons.
Hill joined Hartlepool in October 2021, beginning his working relationship with Challinor. Although their time together there was brief, he followed the manager to Stockport the following month and became an established member of his coaching team.
From Tranmere Rovers to Premier League captain
Hill would bring considerable playing experience to Wednesday, having made 670 senior appearances during a career spanning more than two decades. Comfortable at centre-back or left-back, he began with Tranmere Rovers and featured in their 2000 League Cup final defeat against Leicester City, although he was sent off at Wembley.
A move to Oldham Athletic followed in 2002 before he joined Stoke City the following summer. Injuries disrupted his spell with the Potters, but he was named their player of the year for the 2004/05 season before later moving to Crystal Palace, initially on loan.
His most prominent spell came at QPR, where he reunited with Neil Warnock in 2010 and helped win the Championship title in his first season. Hill went on to play in the Premier League, collect both the supporters’ and players’ player of the year awards in 2012, and captain the side to victory in the 2014 Championship play-off final against Derby County.
He made 185 appearances in all competitions for the West London club, also spending a short spell on loan at Nottingham Forest. A move to Rangers followed in 2016, with a late equaliser against Celtic among the highlights of his season at Ibrox.
Hill finished his playing career with Carlisle United, retiring in May 2018 at the age of 39. His subsequent coaching career has taken him through four clubs, with Wednesday now expected to become his next destination.
