Huddersfield 0 Sheffield Weds 2: New Owls recruit so glad to be back from retirement

At 21, the Chelsea defender – tipped for the top by Jose Mourinho – was forced to retire in 2010 because of recurring knee trouble.

But a year out of the game helped Hutchinson’s body mend sufficiently for him to be tempted out of retirement to earn a new Stamford Bridge contract.

Two years later – and after loan spells with Nottingham Forest and Dutch side Vitesse – the 24-year-old has arrived in South Yorkshire to help bolster a depleted Owls squad.

On his full debut for Stuart Gray’s side, Hutchinson showed quality in his touch to shine in an unaccustomed central midfield berth.

With the Owls leading through Jeremy Helan’s goal, despite hosts Huddersfield looking the better team in the first half, it was the former England Under-19 right-back who picked out team-mate Jacques Maghoma and this resulted in Wednesday’s second goal which settled this Yorkshire derby.

After missing so much football over the years, Hutchinson is just thrilled to be back playing after revealing why he had quit the game.

“I was depressed and it was an easy decision for me,” said Hutchinson. “I was in a hole, a rut, and wasn’t doing anything. I wasn’t training or anything.

“I didn’t go back (on retirement), it was Chelsea. I didn’t want to come back, I had lost my love for playing football. I never played, I was always injured.

“I was working with Chelsea, they said, ‘You’re still fit, have a go’. So I came back and six months later I was in the first team.

“I went out on loan to Forest, got injured again, and now find myself at Wednesday.

“It’s all experience, to be honest, and it makes you stronger. It’s a bit of a cliche, but it does.

“All I know is football, I have been at Chelsea since I was seven.

“It seemed logical if I could play football without pain – which I do now – to come back, and I am loving it again,” said Hutchinson, who made his first-team Blues debut aged 18.

With Town midfielder Adam Clayton used to orchestrate the hosts’ play, Owls chief Gray opted for a five-man midfield to prevent Town building attacks from deep.

Both sides started with just the solitary striker, Nahki Wells for Town, Atdhe Nuhiu for the Owls.

It was former Bradford City striker Wells who had the first sniff of a chance, but Miguel Llera reacted swiftly to concede an early corner.

Danny Ward, playing just off Wells, failed to get enough power on his header to trouble goalkeeper Chris Kirkland after Joe Mattock slipped to concede possession in a bright start for the hosts.

Kirkland did well to thwart Adam Hammill’s long-range effort, and, at the other end, Jacques Maghoma saw a probing run come to nothing and Gary Gardner flashed a shot wide of Alex Smithies’s goal.

Wednesday took the lead five minutes before half-time. Town captain Peter Clarke’s clearance hit Helan, and the Frenchman lashed the loose ball home from a narrow angle.

Wells had the first chance of the second half, but dragged his shot well wide of Kirkland’s right-hand post.

But it was two successive spurned chances for Town which would prove costly.

Kirkland came to the visitors’ rescue when he saved from close-range as Ward found space inside the area.

Then Wells broke and with three attackers against one defender, opted to try to find the supporting Sean Scannell or Ward and the back-tracking Llera intervened to halt the danger.

Wednesday punished their hosts by doubling their advantage in the 72nd minute. Hutchinson found Maghoma, with his back to goal 10 yards out, but he was allowed to turn and drilled home beyond helpless Smithies.

Huddersfield had enjoyed the lion’s share of possession, but the Owls’ relentless running, closing down and tackling played a major part in Town’s poor showing.

Yet Mark Robins’s side finished with a late flourish, Clayton seeing his 25-yard effort scrape the top of the crossbar, and Ward headed over from six yards out.

Robins made no excuses for his team’s performance.

“I could go ranting and raving and while that might make me feel better it won’t do any good,” he said.

“You can count on the fingers of one hand the number of poor performances we have had this season. Our play in the final third was non-existent at times.”

Robins said his side wanted to play football, but added: “Possession is vanity if you don’t do anything with it. The crowd see you doubting yourself and the fans get on your back. The supporters need to stay with us because we have some young lads in the team.

“I get the fact that the fans are frustrated and it’s up to us to give them something to cheer and get them on their feet. You have to be brave.”

Victory extended Wednesday’s unbeaten away run to nine games, and left Hutchinson clearly impressed with his new team-mates.

“It was a great performance,” said Hutchinson. “Obviously, they had a lot of the ball in the first half. We are a new team, haven’t played together much, we didn’t come to terms with it.

“But, in the second half, we have done a lot better.

“I am not used to playing in midfield, so I am just trying to do my bit in the team and get fit.

“I never played midfield before, perhaps twice at Under-14s,” added Hutchinson, who on Saturday completed his first 90 minutes of football since September, 2012.

“Stuart wants us to press and be on the front foot.

“We have good players at this club, and are in a bit of a false position, we should be further up the table.”

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