Andre Green - Sheffield Wednesday wanted me last summer

Wednesday were keen on bringing him in the close season, but a deal could not get over the line ahead of the free agent finally penning an 18-month contract with the club earlier this month.

The Owls maintained their interest and patience has paid off for Green, who has been out of the game since leaving boyhood club Aston Villa at the end of last season.

Green, 22, rated as an outstanding talent when he was coming through the ranks at Villa, said: “We did have a few offers from elsewhere, but Sheffield Wednesday was in the pipeline from last summer and I always knew about it from before the season started.

“We had other offers, but I just thought this would be the best place for me to come.

“It was something that was planned in the summer, so it is not as if I have decided just to come to Wednesday and it is something that has gone on for a long time.

“I feel I am at a point in my career where I feel I can do something special and realise my potential and I believe in myself to get into the team no matter who the manager is.

“I am 22 and I have short and long-term goals and know where I can get to if I knuckle down on the pitch, no matter who is the manager.”

Green’s last competitive game was on the final day of last season at Charlton, who he joined on loan for the second half of last season following an unproductive temporary spell at Preston.

But despite his lack of game-time, the left-sided attacker, who is comfortable across the forward line, is ready for the first-team call after keeping in condition since leaving Villa by following a strict fitness regime - and he is ready to ‘be thrown in the deep end.’

He added: “I felt quite well and have been training for four or five days now (at Wednesday) and am keeping with the lads no problem at all and I feel really fit.

“I cannot wait for the first game to really test myself and I feel in a very good place and I have had a good programme to the time I came to the football club and a very hard programme to be working off.

“I was training somewhere and also doing my own programme which was written from the first lockdown when I was on loan at Charlton where we had very hard programmes to do and I was following that, day by day. It was really hard.

“I don’t want to be in and out, I want to just be thrown in and if that is the case, I am just ready to give my all. I have nothing to lose now, I just need to go for it and my mentality is hungrier than ever.

“I am hungry to get goals and bring Sheffield up the table.”