'I can see' - Darren Moore makes bold Premier League prediction after Sheffield Wednesday takeover
Darren Moore issues bold Premier League prediction after Sheffield Wednesday takeover
Darren Moore believes Sheffield Wednesday can reach the Premier League within five years if they are managed correctly.
The 52-year-old is the man who led the Owls out of League One in 2023, overseeing the ‘Hillsborough miracle’ comeback win over Peterborough United at the play-off semi-final stage before his side defeated Barnsley in the final.
He was not given the chance to manage Wednesday back in the Championship and later watched his former club slip into off-field chaos. Three years on from their promotion under Moore, the South Yorkshire club are set for a return to the third tier.
Arise Capital Partners have pulled the Owls out of administration after the ousting of Dejphon Chansiri as owner and Moore now sees a bright future ahead for his old employers.
Darren Moore predicts bright future for Sheffield Wednesday
He told Mail Online: “The new American owners will see the passion. Wednesday for me is the biggest club outside the Premier League. I used to meet up regularly for a cup of tea with my old West Brom boss Gary Megson and he'd say if you get this going, it'll be like a runaway train. And he was right.
“They've seen a snippet of that since the takeover. I know the club will heal itself because of the fans and they can bounce back next season, but the problem is that it's going to be expensive.
“You've got to be careful because of everything that needs doing in terms of stadium improvements. I'm talking about central heating and hot water. The basic structural needs of the football club require investment.
“That's what they say they're doing. Get the infrastructure right and that place will soar. It can get back to the Premier League inside five years if it's managed correctly. I can see a really bright future for Wednesday.”
Darren Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday exit
Moore and Chansiri could not come to an agreement over the next steps for Wednesday in the aftermath of the 2023 promotion.
The former has remained coy and courteous regarding the circumstances of his exit - but has made it clear it was not something he wanted.
He said: “I didn't want to leave. It's only now people can see what happened. He wanted me out of the club and he got me out. I wanted to build in the Championship and go forward.
“I was gutted when he didn't allow me that and showed me the door. A lot of people don't realise that and I had to stand back and listen to him say things about me that were quite hurtful. But in the end, what's come through is that now everyone can see where the club was at.”
Moore returned to Yorkshire for a spell at Huddersfield Town in September 2023, but was relieved of his duties in January 2024 with the Terriers embroiled in a battle for Championship survival.
A spell with Port Vale followed and although Moore managed to steer the club to promotion from League Two, he was axed following a tough start to life in the third tier.