Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen on Jordan Henderson 'factor' in Owls' dressing room

Their group, headed by ‘elder statesman’ Barry Bannan at 36, includes respected thirty-somethings like Liam Cooper, 35, Liam Palmer, 34, Reece James, 32 and Joe Lumley, 31.

Ricardo Santos has also been around the block at 31, while up front, Jamal Lowe - EFL League One player-of-the-month for August - is 32.

There are also senior professionals in their mid to late twenties on deck such as Davis Keillor-Dunn, Callum Slattery and Yan Valery.

While all the aforementioned players have a clear role on matchday, Owls manager Henrik Pedersen believes the jobs of those players, especially those in the winter of their careers, are two-fold.

Setting daily standards in training and being ultra-professional in everything they do and stressing the importance of culture within the group is their other duty.

At the top level, that has been showcased by Chelsea’s decision to sign Jordan Henderson, a player in the twilight of a glittering career at 36.

Henderson’s role off the pitch assumed a fair degree of importance for England in last summer’s World Cup where he was a conduit between the coaching staff and dressing room.

“The best guy I’ve ever come across in football’ was Morgan Rogers’ summer take on the Wearsider, who is now a club colleague at Stamford Bridge.

For those younger Wednesday players at the club, there should also be no shortage of role models to learn from and look up to both at Hillsborough and the Owls’ Middlewood Road training base.

Pedersen said: "He (Henderson) is a good example for you don't need to play (all the time) to be a top leader.

"And you can also make a mistake in one moment and be the best leader on the pitch in the next moment.

"He's an amazing example for top leadership by experienced players.

"Everyone can learn something from him. But it's a key that you don't need to play to be a top leader. And you don't need to make a good pass before you can be a top leader in your next action.

"And this is something a lot of players have to get used to. That you don't need to do something to be something. You can do it without ‘doing’.

"The trust in yourself, the belief in yourself—that's something a lot of experienced players have to work on.

"Because if you're used to being a good leader, then you feel you ‘have’ to play. But you can be exactly as good a leader also when you're not playing.

"And I think he's a fantastic example if you ask all the players who have worked with him or working with him.”

Wednesday, who have made a solid start to life in the third tier, welcome Stockport County this weekend.

They are then due to return to action at League One level at home to Cambridge United on October 3.