Sheffield Wednesday v Charlton Athletic: Experienced Owls defender Michael Ihiekwe is still eager to learn new things

After conceding three sloppy goals on the season’s opening day, Ihiekwe has been part of an Owls back three looking keep a third straight clean sheet at home to Charlton Athletic this afternoon.

It underlines how he is reaping the benefits of moving early in the summer after running down his Millers contract. His three-and-a-half-year-old has bought in just as enthusiastically.

“Abel’s footie mad so I got him the new Wednesday kit and he loves it,” reveals his dad. “He loves going to all the games.

“Going the other day he was singing all the Wednesday songs. I’ve been trying to teach him to sing that he’s an Owl. He sang one of the Rotherham songs by mistake and I told him you can’t do that any more!

“We’re just between sorting the house out in Liverpool and finding a suitable place here but that’s definitely the plan in the near future. When you’re happy at home it shows on the pitch.”

Professionally, his adjustment is well under way.

“Different managers have different ways of playing and that’s why it was really important for me to come early on in pre-season to listen as much as I can and take it into training and practice it,” argues the centre-back, named in the League One team of last season by his fellow professionals.

“It’s another motivation for me to learn new things. I’m 29 but I think you’re always learning.

“A lot of stuff has to be done on the training pitch and it’s relationships off the pitch as well. It was good a lot of (transfers) got done early and we went to Portugal (in pre-season). When you’re away with each other all day every day you really get to know each other. It’s just as important as time on the training pitch.”

That is highlighted when he explains what is needed to win promotion from League One, as he did last season: “Belief in each other that you can go into every game and win it.”

Ihiekwe enjoys passing on his experience to team-mates.

“We’re seeing more and more of his character coming out and him getting used to the players and the football club,” says manager Darren Moore.

Talk about camaraderie is more than just that, and Moore points to the reaction when Akin Famewo picked up a muscle injury likely to keep him out for months, not weeks.

“At half-time and after the game the players were really showing positive thinking,” he says proudly. “There’s a lovely spirit within the camp. When one suffers everybody rallies around.”

It is no surprise a kind-natured Christian like Moore has built a squad of good people.

“Sometimes the dynamics of two individuals might not hit off but there are examples when relationships at a football club aren’t good but it still works,” he points out. “Here I witness a group of players getting on while understanding the competitive environment. They’re geeing each other on even when certain individuals aren’t playing.

“It’s about just trying to tick as many boxes as possible to make sure you’re not just singing a good player but a good individual. But if an individual comes in from a poorly run background or team, eventually in our environment we’ll smooth the edges over.”

Moore felt the character of Ihiekwe and Michael Smith shone through when they rebuffed Rotherham’s attempts to sign them to new contracts.

Moore and Millers manager Paul Warne put a lot of store on behaving the right way.

“I wanted to ring Paul but both players wanted it to come from them first,” said Moore.

“They both had and still have wonderful relationships with him. I hear the environment Warney’s got at Rotherham is very much the same – one for all, all for one. I know Paul and I’ve heard the players eulogising about him.

“Since then I’ve spoken to Warney and I wish him and his club every success this season. Inside and outside the pitch our friendship will carry on as normal.”