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The Owls have had a good season in 2024/25, but how many of the current crop of players actually make it into the best Sheffield Wednesday XI of the 21st century?
Under Danny Rohl, we are seeing a real resurgence for Sheffield Wednesday, and until recently, they were a genuine play-off contender for this season.
Defeat in the Steel City derby before the international break may well have ended the Owls’ season. But, a midtable finish is a real signal of progress.
Rohl might even go down as one of the best Sheffield Wednesday managers to date if he keeps up the good work — unless he departs in the summer, of course.
But, which players make the best Sheffield Wednesday XI of the modern era? EFL Analysis has assembled quite the team here.
The best Sheffield Wednesday players of the last 25 years
Keiren Westwood
Keiren Westwood spent seven years at Sheffield Wednesday, racking up 199 appearances for the Owls (we’re not sure why he couldn’t just play one more game and make it a nice round number). He kept a massive 73 clean sheets in that time, and was integral to Wednesday’s play-off campaigns in 2016 and 2017.
A brilliant shot-stopper and a goalkeeper with a great command of his box, Westwood was the undisputed number one for the Owls for much of his stay in S6.
Lewis Buxton
This was a really tough position to fill, but in the end, we went for the sheer level of consistency delivered by Lewis Buxton. He was never a remarkable player, by any stretch of the imagination, but he very rarely let the Owls down.
Making 207 appearances for Wednesday between 2008 and 2015, Buxton was an incredibly solid full-back, and contributed a respectable 14 assists, too.
Lee Bullen
Frankly, Lee Bullen was one of the first names on the list for this best Sheffield Wednesday XI. A no-nonsense, aggressive, courageous defender who put his body on the line at all times, and a fearless leader, too, Bullen gave everything to the club during his playing days.
He was club captain for years, and would later go on to take caretaker charge of Wednesday on three separate occasions. Simply put, Bullen is a Sheffield Wednesday legend.
Glenn Loovens
If Bullen was your typical old-fashioned centre-half, Glenn Loovens brought a more modern, classy approach to the game when he stepped into the heart of the Owls defence. The Dutchman was comfortable on the ball, a great passer, and had an exceptional footballing brain.
Loovens made 150 appearances for Wednesday between 2013 and 2018. Not bad for a free transfer.
Dani Pudil
The left-back role was a tough one, but we went for the sometimes outlandish, often reliable, always passionate Dani Pudil. In recent years, it’s been pretty rare for Sheffield Wednesday to have fully-fledged international players among their ranks, but the Czech defender represented his country 35 times, which is testament to his quality.
Pudil wore his heart on his sleeve during his three-year stay in Sheffield and the fans loved him. Clearly, he loved the Steel City, too, as he’s back there now representing non-league Hallam FC.
Ross Wallace
If you thought Pudil was a character, Ross Wallace makes him look like a pretty ordinary guy. The Scottish winger loved winding up opponents on and off the pitch, and he always had something to say. But, the key thing is, he had the talent to back it up.
Wallace may have only scored 13 goals in 124 games for Wednesday, but pretty much every single one of them were genuine Goal of the Month contenders. He was another member of the Owls squad that made it to successive Championship play-offs under Carlos Carvalhal.
Jose Semedo
Like a few players on this list, Jose Semedo was the kind of player who immediately endeared himself to the Wednesday faithful thanks to his performances on the pitch, and his personality off it. The Portuguese midfielder was a highly effective anchor man, but most importantly, he absolutely loved the club.
He made 167 appearances for Wednesday over a six-year spell in S6, and was an integral part of Carvalhal’s side that came within inches of the Premier League.
Barry Bannan
When he signed for the club a decade ago, probably not even Barry Bannan himself imagined that he would still be at Sheffield Wednesday all these years later. The Scottish midfielder arrived from Crystal Palace and immediately showed his quality in blue and white. He was too good for the Championship, and he was certainly too good for League One, but he stuck around anyway and pulled Wednesday back up the EFL.
He’s now made 441 appearances for Wednesday, and counting, and is the club captain. While Bannan may have been anonymous in the Steel City derby recently, he’s still a class act and another genuine club legend.
Chris Brunt
Chris Brunt best memory may have come at West Brom, but the Northern Irishman owes everything to his time at Sheffield Wednesday. Brunt broke onto the scene in the mid-2000s with the Owls, and was one of the most exciting talents in the second tier at the time.
He made over 150 appearances for Wednesday, scoring 25 goals — most of them stunners — and also added another 16 assists too. His creativity, vision, intelligence, and trickery made him a nightmare for defenders at the time.
Josh Windass
The only other current player to make it into the best Sheffield Wednesday XI since the turn of the millennium is Josh Windass. The forward is one cool customer — he doesn’t even celebrate most of his goals — but that doesn’t mean he plays with anything less than 100% commitment and passion.
Windass reached the 50-goal milestone for Wednesday this season, and he’s scored some incredible and very important goals along the way. From play-off winning strikes, to special efforts from inside his own half, Windass has given Owls fans some big memories during his time there.
Fernando Forestieri
While this lineup so far has included cult icons, devoted servants, and underrated workhorses, Fernando Forestieri is the very best, most talented player of the lot. The little Argentinian forward had it all; skill, flair, a high football IQ, and the unquantifiable ability to step up and produce moments of magic in the blink of an eye.
Over the course of his five years at Sheffield Wednesday, Forestieri scored 40 goals and registered 17 assists in 134 appearances. But, regardless of numbers, and the odd controversial moment, Forestieri was an entertainer. The kind of player who got you standing on your feet, and that’s something the Owls sorely miss right now.
Honourable mentions for the best Sheffield Wednesday XI
Obviously, picking from the last 25 years of Sheffield Wednesday players and whittling it down to 11 players is going to mean some big names miss out. So, here are just a few names that nearly made it into our best Sheffield Wednesday XI.
In defence, we very nearly opted for current player Liam Palmer at right-back, but he has dropped off in recent years. Danny Batth became a real cult hero during his loan spell at Hillsborough, while Reda Johnson was involved in some great moments for the Owls, but both just missed out.
It’s also worth mentioning Madjid Bougherra, who is arguably the most talented defender to play for Wednesday in recent memory. But, his stay in S6 was far too brief.
The same goes for Ross Barkley. The former Chelsea man only played 13 games for Wednesday before everyone realised he was way too good to be in the Championship.
We also need to talk about the likes of Adam Reach and Jermaine Johnson, who were both brilliant wingers in their day, while West Ham legend, Michail Antonio, was actually very effective as a winger for the Owls.
Less flashy players like Glenn Whelan and Kieran Lee were outstanding servants to the club in the middle of the park, but missed out due to the quality of Semedo and Bannan.
Meanwhile, up top, Wednesday fans have been blessed with great strikers like Steven Fletcher, Marcus Tudgay, and Gary Hooper.