Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday: Owls’ squad have ‘all grown a bit older together’ – Steve Bruce

Bruce will switch his attentions to revamping his squad following the fulfilment of Wednesday’s final two fixtures of the season, starting at Deepdale. Also mindful of the need to ‘box clever’ due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations, Bruce says that he will have to be shrewd in the summer market and potentially patient as well.

The Owls chief, who has sampled defeat just twice in 16 matches in a highly encouraging start to his managerial tenure at Hillsborough, said: “The squad has done that well that you do look to it and say, ‘yes, can we bring some fresh legs and energy into the team and can it enhance us’ because the core and nucleus we have here is a very decent one.

“Although it is fair to say we are ageing. We have got to find the right balance and that is always a bit difficult.

“You can see why the club has nearly got there (the Premier League) two to three years ago. They have been very close.

“However, unfortunately they have all grown a little bit older together. The vast majority of the squad are still here from three years ago. That does not really happen a lot.

“It is an opportunity in the summer to bring some fresh faces, fresh legs and fresh energy, which a squad always wants.”

Highlighting the need for patience, Bruce – who has put back a recruitment meeting with chairman Dejphon Chansiri, potentially until after the season finishes – added: “In my experience you cannot radically change overnight. It is a drip-feed into the squad.

“You cannot always get what you want. I am the type now that if I cannot get what I want, I would rather wait.

“We will not just be bringing players in for the sake of it, that is for sure.

“It is fair to say and it is well-documented that we are in Financial Fair Play and that did not put me off (coming to the club).

“But like a lot of clubs in the Championship we have got to start now adhering to the rules of what is before us.

“We have seen if you break them and flaunt them then you get penalty points and deductions and you are ‘goosed’ before you start.

“I am under no illusions that there will be hundreds of millions to spend. We have got to be clever in our work and use the loan market well.”