Sheffield Wednesday opt for the experience of Tony Pulis to rescue season

No details have yet been revealed regarding Pulis’s contract, but it is expected to include a Championship survival bonus.

Long-serving assistant David Kemp, who has worked with Pulis at a host of clubs, is likely to be his No 2.

The 62-year-old, who started out in his managerial career with Bournemouth almost three decades ago in 1992, is the Owls’ ninth manager/head coach in the past decade, with his immediate concern being to pull the club away from the Championship relegation zone following a difficult start to the season.

Pulis, who has never been relegated at his 10 previous clubs as a manager, takes over a Wednesday side who have won just seven times in 32 league matches in 2020 and triumphed twice in the league at Hillsborough in the current calendar year.

Wednesday, deducted 12 points in July for breaching spending rules – with the penalty being reduced to six earlier this month – are second from bottom and only goal difference keeps them off the bottom of the table.

It helps to explain why Wednesday opted for an experienced figure to take charge after the sacking of Garry Monk.

Newport-born Pulis has managed 1,123 senior games in his career. Only Middlesbrough chief Neil Warnock can boast more matches in charge in the dug-out.

Pulis’s first game at the Owls helm will be at Preston next Saturday, with his last match in management coming when he took charge of Middlesbrough for the final time at Rotherham United on the last day of the 2018-19 campaign.

Boro triumphed 2-1, but narrowly missed out on the play-offs by just a point, having qualified for the end-of-season lottery in 2017-18, where they lost to Aston Villa in the semi-finals.

Pulis had succeeded Monk at Christmas 2017 – with Boro then in ninth place – and he has now replaced Monk at a club for a second time, with his immediate aim revolving around pulling Wednesday out of danger at the foot of the division.

Pulis has previously worked with Owls loan defender Aden Flint, who he purchased in his time at Boro for a £6m fee from Bristol City in the summer of 2018.

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