Sheffield Wednesday's Matt Hamshaw: 'It should be seen as an exciting time, not a time of everybody thinking, "What's going to happen?"'

Less than a week before, Henrik Pedersen was sacked after results had just been okay but the style of performances had not been.

Hamshaw's first game until the new manager comes in – hopefully next week - was only a draw.

But the former Rotherham United manager, who came into the training ground's press room cracking jokes and left the same way, has seen the bigger picture under new owner David Storch and that, he says, is why he is so optimistic.

First comes a League One game at home to Blackpool on Sunday but someone who might only be in this job for days is thinking long-term.

"It's a new group of players, a new group of staff, there's going to be a new manager," says the former Owls winger.

"There could be a change of system, I honestly don't know, but it's going to be interesting and positive. It should be seen as an exciting time, not a time of everybody thinking, 'What's going to happen?'

"The club's in good hands.

"If I told you this time last year (when the Owls had just gone into administration) what would happen to this club and we'd be where we are now, I think a lot of people would have snapped your hand off.

"But as always in football you take things for granted. I've done that.

"It's important we remember who we are, where we are and that should mean we're at the top end of this league.

"This group can definitely do that.

"There'll be bumps in the road but after Christmas is when you really hit your straps. I think the lowest I've been in this league is 14th or 15th at Christmas and still got promoted."

Hamshaw only rejoined at the start of the season, as part of Pedersen's coaching staff.

"The reason that I came back to this football club was because I can see the foresight of the club," he says.

"I can see what the owners are trying to do. I can see the director of football, the chief exec, I can see the work at Hillsborough, I can see the work at the training ground.

"I could have gone to other clubs, but I just feel like this club is going to get back to what it can achieve and what it can be like.

"I won't say I've got unfinished business, but I just feel like I owe something back to the football club to try and get it back to where it was.

"I was part of that when I was in the Premier League, in the Championship and then League One and then went back to the Championship and then I left (in 2005).

"It felt like I only had a couple of really good days at this football club as a player in six years, which is sad, but that's the truth of it.

"I want to give the fans something back that we can hold onto and really take this club back to the heights it should be."

He knows the importance of those fans, talking of trying to play the football they want.

"The Wednesday fans all stuck together, they all went to the club shop to buy merchandise and now they've got the good times coming back,” he declares.

"But Rome wasn't built in a day and we have to make sure we're putting building bricks in.

"That's the bit I've seen that I've really liked. It's not just going to be a scattergun approach. There's a strategy behind everything.

"The successful teams and clubs I've been at, there's a clear plan of where we want to be.

"No one tells you because it should be in house but it's exciting. That's probably the only bit I can share."