Football League World
·1 June 2023
Football League World
·1 June 2023
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder George Byers has admitted that he would like to sign a fresh long-term deal with the club this summer.
As it stands, Byers' current contract is set to expire at the end of June.
However, Wednesday do have the option to extend his stay for another 12 months due to a clause included in this deal.
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The midfielder was forced to watch on from the sidelines for Wednesday's play-off campaign after suffering a muscular injury against Portsmouth in March.
In the absence of Byers, the Owls produced an astonishing comeback in their semi-final showdown with Peterborough United to set up a meeting with Barnsley.
Wednesday went on to defeat the Tykes in dramatic circumstances at Wembley Stadium as Josh Windass scored the only goal of the game in the final minute of extra-time.
The Owls' focus will soon turn to preparing for life in the Championship when the transfer window opens later this month.
Making reference about his situation at Hillsborough, Byers has admitted that he is keen to hold talks with the club over the possibility of signing a long-term contract.
Speaking to The Star, Byers said: "This club has got a place in my heart.
"I’ve been here a couple of years now, and this fanbase, everyone involved with the club, has just sucked me in.
"There’s nowhere that I’d rather be than at this football club. "I’d love to stay here for the long-term, and hopefully in the summer there will be talks and I can stay here for a long time. "This place means so much to me, the fans mean so much to me. "To see them at Wembley, I can’t even put it into words how much it means to me. "I’ve seen players like Palms and Baz that have been here for years, and the way they talk about the club is how I feel now.
"I’d love to be here for the long-term, so we’ll see what happens in the summer."
When you consider that Byers managed to produce a host of impressive performances last season, Wednesday should indeed be looking to tie him down to a long-term deal.
By getting the midfielder to commit his future to the club, the Owls will fend off any potential suitors this summer.
Before his campaign was curtailed due to injury, Byers managed to provide nine direct goal contributions in League One and averaged an impressive WhoScored match rating of 7.04 at this level.
If Byers goes on to demonstrate a similar level of performance later this year in the Championship, he could potentially help the Owls make a positive start to the 2023/24 campaign.