Preston v Sheffield Wednesday: George Boyd aims to make it six of the best

GEORGE BOYD aims to be dancing in the Premier League as opposed to the moonlight with new club Sheffield Wednesday next summer.
New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.
New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.

The winger revealed that he sang Toploader’s classic late 1999’s hit ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ as his initiation song after recently joining – and he is now seeking to strike a chord with fans with his on-pitch displays.

Boyd, 31, who has signed a two-year deal after joining on a free transfer from Burnley, has been somewhat of a lucky charm at his previous clubs and is seeking a sixth promotion of his career.

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Mindful that he is not exactly in the first flush of youth anymore, the Kent-born player says he is determined to return to the big-time ahead of next season, having rejected a contract extension with top-flight outfit Burnley to take up the Owls challenge.

New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.
New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.

Boyd, eyeing a league debut in this afternoon’s Roses opener at Preston, said: “I have had five promotions, so I would like a sixth.

“That is my number one (target) and we are one of eight or nine teams who can do it. It is up to us to get it done.”

Boyd is the first to acknowledge that pressure will come with the territory for Wednesday’s players in their quest to make it a case of third time lucky in the promotion stakes after two heart-breaking play-off eliminations over the past two seasons.

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The former Clarets player believes that the Championship is as competitive and stacked with big names – with many spending serious amounts of transfer money – as it has ever been.

New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.
New man: Sheffield Wednesday's George Boyd.

But he feels that the Owls do have an advantage in that respect, with a host of seasoned Championship operators, many of whom possess considerable international experience, proliferating their ranks.

On the second tier effectively being a Premier League Mk II, he said: “I think it is, just with the amount of teams who have played in the Premier League and come down. It is such a hard league to get out of and we have not quite managed to get out of it.

“So, you can definitely see it as a second Premier League and with the money at stake, it is huge.

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“You have (Aston) Villa who have spent a lot of money and Middlesbrough have spent massive sums. We are up there and there are teams who did well last year such as Fulham and Reading and they will fancy themselves.

“I think at a club of this size, there is always going to be that pressure of winning. They have obviously gone close in the past two years and I would say we are one of the biggest clubs in the division – with that pressure of being one of those eight or nine teams that want to go up.

“It is the pressure that you want, to be at the top end of the table.”

Confident that the Owls’ squad depth can also prove a trump card in their quest to end their top-flight exile, alongside the experience in their ranks, Boyd added: “You need that experience, especially with how relentless the league is.

“With Saturday and Tuesday games, you need a big squad and players to come in when some are feeling a bit tired. I think we have got that in abundance.”