Owls hero hopes to have silenced detractors

The striker may have only scored seven times this season since his summer move from Rochdale, but two of those have been vital efforts in Steel City derbies.

First he helped the Owls recover from 2-0 down to grab a draw at Bramall Lane in October, then he headed the winner to beat high-flying United at Hillsborough on Sunday.

Never a prolific scorer, his overall workrate and strength have made him a popular choice with manager Gary Megson.

After losing their previous four games before Sunday’s derby success, Owls supporters had started getting impatient with the lack of goals from Hillsborough strikers O’Grady, Ryan Lowe, Gary Madine and Clinton Morrison.

“Things like that always get fixated on more when the team’s not winning because I have not scored as many as I would have liked,” said the 26-year-old former Rotherham striker. “But it’s never a problem when the team’s doing well and you’re playing well without scoring.

“It just makes me more determined to answer these kind of things, try 100 per cent, and try to add whatever is missing from my game.”

O’Grady could not remember much about the goal, Lewis Buxton playing a one-two with Jose Semedo before picking out O’Grady, whose header flew inside Steve Simonsen’s far post.

“The first derby goal was special because of the occasion, it was the first time I had played against them but this goal topped it.

“It’s up there with the best, possibly at the top. But, first of all, I was just happy to get a win, which is what we set out to do.

“It was important because we couldn’t be losing ground – or even staying still – with United above us, so it was important to gain some ground on them,” said O’Grady, whose Owls side sit just two points off the Blades, who have two games in hand.

“It was all a bit surreal, I can’t actually remember the goal too well. It just makes me proud to be here.

“The manager said we were okay (at half-time), but we are capable of being even better, so we came out in the second half and upped the tempo, put the pressure on, and that’s what we did.

Of the Blades, he said: “I wouldn’t really like to comment on them. It’s about us. If we set some sort of target and do what we should do between now and the end of the season it shouldn’t really matter what happens to them. It’s about us and if we perform where we can we will end up where we need to be.

“It doesn’t get too much better than this. I played in a similar derby last year for Rochdale against Oldham in front of about 4,000 people, it’s not quite the same. It’s definitely special and what every footballer aspires to.”

Next up for Wednesday is a first return to Rochdale for O’Grady on Saturday, although the striker insists it will just be business as usual against the club where he netted 34 goals in 90 appearances in a two-year stay.

“I will focus on just going to Rochdale and getting the business done,” he said.

“Being there helped my career massively and led me to be here so I am very grateful to Rochdale. I will definitely be going there to win, though.”