Sheffield Wednesday at the World Cup – The chosen few
Yan Valery will become the first Sheffield Wednesday player since 1994 to play at a World Cup when he turns out for Tunisia this summer.
It’s been many years since John Sheridan donned international colours to represent the Owls on the biggest stage for the Republic of Ireland, but even before that the list wasn’t exactly huge. Roland Nilsson was also at that World Cup in the USA, but had already left Hillsborough by that point due to homesickness.
With Valery’s opening game against Sweden just a couple of weeks away, we thought we’d take a look back over the years for the Wednesday players of the past to have graced the world’s greatest sporting event…
1994 – John Sheridan
This tournament was a famous one for the Republic of Ireland, with the Boys in Green making it into the Round of 16 by beating Italy and drawing with Norway either side of a defeat to Mexico. They were ultimately knocked out by the Netherlands, however.
Sheridan, who was 29 at the time, started and finished all four matches at the competition - wearing the number 10 shirt. Nilsson was also a regular in the USA as Sweden went all the way to the semi-finals before finishing in third place, but by that point had officially moved on from Hillsborough.
1990 – John Sheridan and Roland Nilsson
This competition, in Italy, was the only World Cup ever that saw two current Wednesday players play in it. Nilsson’s side had a tough time of things as they lost all three of their Group C games - all of which he started and finished - before being knocked out.
As for ‘Shez’, he was limited to just the one outing in 1990, coming on as a late substitute in Ireland’s quarter-final defeat to Italy.
1986 – Nigel Worthington
A 24-year-old Worthington picked up two of his 66 Northern Ireland caps at this tournament in Mexico, starting against both Algeria and Spain as the Green and White Army failed to escape Group D. It was the last time NI managed to qualify for the competition.
It was the last time NI managed to qualify for the competition… But also the first time that a Wednesday player had made a World Cup squad in two years.
1966 – Ron Springett
The year 1966 won’t be forgotten in English football. It was the last time the Three Lions were crowned as champions of the World, and also the last time they won a major tournament at all.
Springett was an unused substitute as England went all the way at Wembley, playing second fiddle to the great Gordon Banks, and had to wait until 2009 before being presented with a winners’ medal alongside his other non-playing teammates.
1962 – Ron Springett and Peter Swan
Chile 1962 wasn’t as successful, of course, but the former Owls stopper certainly played a bigger role in it as England made it through to the quarter-finals before being beaten by a Garrincha-inspired Brazilian outfit.
Centre back, Peter Swan, was also part of that squad as well - but was left on the bench for all four games as a 21-year-old Bobby Moore started to make a name for himself.
1954 – Albert Quixall
Lastly, or should we say firstly, there’s the exceptional Albert Quixall. To this day he’s the only Sheffield-born Owl to be named in a World Cup squad. Aged 20 he was the youngest player in Walter Winterbottom’s side, and had to make do for a place on the bench.
Quixall was unused as England drew with Belgium, beat Switzerland and lost to Uruguay, with the Three Lions being eliminated in the quarters in Basel.
How many games Valery plays in Mexico and America remains to be seen, and it’s likely that he won’t be an Owl for much longer after the tournament ends… But if he features in all three of their Group F matches then Wednesday could pocket around £24,000 thanks to the FIFA Club Benefits Programme.
Whatever happens after the tournament, the full back is set to become the first SWFC player to feature on the biggest stage in over 30 years. And that’s at least something.
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