Nico Schulz: Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl urged not to sign defender by women's supporters club

The former Germany international has been training with the club and manager Danny Rohl has not ruled out the possibility of signing the 30-year-old.

Speaking to reporters earlier this week, Rohl said: "Let’s have a look. This week, he is not here. We will try for him to come back in training and then we will look at what we can do and if there’s a way or not.

"When I look back to last week when he trained with us, I saw a Nico who was very focused to Sheffield Wednesday and 100 per cent committed. He has shown his quality, even though he did not play in the last months. He is in a good shape and the positive thing was that he was immediately committed to our players and the group.”

His presence in training has sparked a backlash as he recently appeared in court charged with three counts of grievous bodily harm against a former partner. He was ordered to pay a six-figure sum to five different charities over a three-month period for the case to be discontinued.

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In an open letter to Rohl shared on social media, Sheffield Wednesday Women’s Supporters Group said: “We’re concerned that you might be about to undo a lot of your good work.

“Recently, you welcomed someone into our club and into our city who was charged with violent acts against a woman. You gave him our badge. Welcoming anyone accused of violence against a woman normalises and legitimises this behaviour. It turns them into role models for our children.

“It crushes past, present and future victims of such violence and forces them into silence. Our pain, experiences and safety are disregarded. It tells women that we don’t matter. Making football a safer and more supportive space is a difficult task. Your decisions about who wears the badge make a difference. Your decisions matter.”

Rohl has been invited to join the group for an International Women’s Day celebration. The group said: “Please remember that football is about more than results. It is our community.

“Please think carefully about who you welcome into our club and into our city. Thank you, SWFC Women’s Supporters Group.”