Onomah wants to lock down starting role at Sheffield Wednesday

We’ve talked a little bit about Josh Onomah’s impact at Sheffield Wednesday on loan this season, with his teammates starting to notice his play on the pitch. Back in the Championship on loan for the second consecutive season, Joshy is looking to really make an impact at Wednesday this season after moving in and out of Aston Villa’s team last year under Steve Bruce.

At Wednesday, he has picked up assists in each of his last two matches, both of which he started at central midfield, and now he wants to do something at times unusual for a player on loan from a Premier League club: lock down a starting place.

”It is going well. Credit to the staff and players. They have made me feel welcome. I have started the last two games. I feel as if I have settled in quite well and I’m enjoying my football.

“I was on loan at Aston Villa last season and I was in and out of the team but this time round I hope to cement a place in the team and play as many games as I can. I have to take every game as it comes but I want to gain as much experience as possible.

“I still feel there is more to come from me,” he said. “I missed out on pre-season so I still feel like I can get fitter. Once I get fitter, I feel I like I can impact games a lot by getting goals and assists and that’s what I’m looking forward to.”

The sad reality is that the loan system in English football is somewhat broken, especially at the upper levels of the game. Clubs below the Premier League are often disincentived from taking players on loan, who are sometimes on high wages at their home clubs, and from playing them when they could be developing their own talent that they don’t have to send back home at the end of the season. It takes a special kind of situation for a loan to really work out for a young footballer.

At first glance however it appears Joshy has landed in a good spot. He’s not only getting important minutes, but he’s getting them in the position — central midfield — most think is his best position. In some ways I wonder if he had stayed at Spurs whether Josh would be getting looks in the first team with the current injury crisis, but it will not hurt him one bit to be getting quality starting minutes at a Championship club. Whether those minutes will turn into an actual role with Tottenham remains to be seen.