Jones reunited with Gray again to bolster Owls’ backroom staff

Sheffield Wednesday manager Dave Jones has turned to former Barnsley midfielder Stuart Gray to help bolster the club’s coaching set-up and climb out of relegation trouble.

The Owls lost coach Terry Burton to Arsenal in the summer, and Jones has been assisted by Paul Wilkinson and Neil Thompson at Hillsborough this season.

But with the Owls sat in the bottom three of the Championship – last weekend’s 1-0 win at Barnsley was just their third win in 20 games – Jones has recruited experienced coach Gray in what the club labels a “key addition” to their backroom staff.

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Jones worked under Gray at both Southampton and Wolverhampton.

“I’ve brought Stuart in because he’s an older head than the coaches I have, he has a vast amount of experience,” said Jones.

“He’ll become part of the coaching team and everybody at the club will benefit from his experience and knowledge.

“I have worked with Stuart before for around seven years and that played a big part in my decision to bring him to the club.

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“It underlines my philosophy of never standing still and always looking to build.

“I would like to welcome Stuart to Sheffield Wednesday.”

Gray clocked up 120 appearances in three seasons at Oakwell, before moving to Aston Villa and Southampton. He retired from playing in 1994, before coaching roles at Saints, Wolves, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace.

Gray – born in Withernsea, east Yorkshire – has also managed at Southampton, Northampton Town, plus caretaker spells at Wolves and Burnley.

Gray took his coaching experience to Portsmouth last season and now links up with Jones once more at Hillsborough.

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The Owls currently sit second bottom of the Championship, level on points with Barnsley and Bristol City. They face Charlton Athletic at Hillsborough on Saturday, before trips to Bolton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town over Christmas.