'Trying his hardest' - Ex-Sheffield Wednesday man offers interesting perspective on divisive Dejphon Chansiri

Chansiri’s tenure as Wednesday owner has been dogged by controversy, particularly in recent years, and protests against his ownership have been staged.

Hutchinson has arguably seen more than most when it comes to behind-the-scenes ongoings, having spent the bulk of the last decade as a Wednesday player.

Speaking to The Wednesday Week, Hutchinson said: “Everyone makes mistakes. As a chairman he’s not going to know it all and maybe he’s taken some wrong advice down the way but I can tell you this, he’s actually a really nice man.

“I promise you he does have the best interests of the club at heart, regardless if he gets it wrong. I’m not saying he’s right at all and I’m not backing him, I’m just saying from what I can tell, he has the best interests of the club at heart.

“Whether it’s right or wrong and whether he succeeds with Sheffield Wednesday or not, he is trying his hardest.”

Wednesday first signed Hutchinson on loan from Chelsea in 2014, later making his move permanent. He left the club in 2020 after a fall-out with Garry Monk, but returned in 2021.

Tony Pulis set the wheels in motion for Hutchinson’s return, until his sacking threw a spanner in the works.

The 35-year-old still sealed a return to South Yorkshire, but has claimed it was on less money than initially agreed.

He said: “I cancelled the deal in Cyprus [with Pafos], I’d agreed everything with Sheffield Wednesday for a contract - it was a good contract, not as good as I was on before but still good.

“And then Pulis got sacked. The chairman said he’d still sign me again but it was half what we agreed. I signed on absolute peanuts.

“That’s his prerogative to do that. He’s in charge and he’s given me a lot of money. It’s up to him. I signed it because I wanted to prove a point at Sheffield Wednesday and show people I wasn’t who I got portrayed as, as a bad egg or whatever.”

Hutchinson joined Reading after the end of his third Wednesday spell and now plies his trade in League Two with AFC Wimbledon.

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