Sheffield Wednesday will remember Scot much more fondly than Sheffield United: View | OneFootball

Scottish midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern had a decent loan spell at Sheffield United, but his time with city rivals Wednesday was much more fruitful.

Key Takeaways

Dynamic Scottish midfielder Jon-Paul McGovern had a well-travelled career, both north and south of the border, and even, briefly, in the League of Ireland. However, as one of a select group to play for both Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United, he'll be much more fondly remembered by the Owls than the Blades.

A product of the Celtic youth academy, McGovern's first taste of senior football came in a 2002/03 season loan spell at Bramall Lane. The youngster did well, by and large, scoring three goals in league and cup in his 18 games in South Yorkshire before his temporary stay came to an end.

With Celtic deciding not to extend his loan with the Blades, McGovern, a bustling midfielder with an infectious energy and genuine natural talent, returned to Scotland, making the permanent move to West Lothian side Livingston, becoming a Scottish League Cup winner in the process as the Lions beat Hibernian 2-0 in the final.

While he failed to find the net for Livingston that season, his overall form caught the attention of suitors, with the Glasgow-born man joining none other than Sheffield Wednesday, fierce Steel City rivals of his previous English club.

McGovern instantly looked at home at Hillsborough, playing a vital role in their play-off promotion from the third tier at the end of the season, including scoring crucial goals in the semi-final and final against Brentford and Hartlepool United respectively.

That 2004/05 season was a hugely successful one for McGovern individually, where he was an integral part of a successful side, playing regularly and winning over the Wednesday faithful with his energetic displays.

Following an injury-hit 2005/06 campaign, however, the Scot left the Owls, where his eight goals in 61 games are affectionately remembered to this day. A decent spell at MK Dons preceded a memorable four-year spell with Swindon Town, where McGovern made just shy of 200 appearances.

The diminutive creative player, who earned one cap for Scotland's B team, went on to have spells with the likes of Carlisle United, Derry City, Ayr United, and Elgin City before hanging up his boots in 2019 at the age of 38.

Along with Swindon fans, however, it's supporters of Sheffield Wednesday that McGovern is most revered by, while supporters of Sheffield United were left with a different view of the Glaswegian.

McGovern's successful loan spell only hurt Blades fans more when he joined city rivals.

Football fans are, by nature, quite tribal. Many relish the opportunity to deride former players who sign for other clubs, particularly their rivals.

This is often exasperated further if said player had struggled to make an impact before moving on. McGovern was the opposite, however. He did well in a United shirt and wanted to extend his stay - something that parent club Celtic wouldn't agree to.

The fact that they were unable to hold on to a gifted player who shortly after joined their bitter rivals, with huge success, was something that grated on the Bramall Lane fanbase, and that is the main reason for the player being loved by the Owls and loathed by the Blades.

Injuries prevented McGovern from playing regularly at a higher level

McGovern was a top performer in League One and League Two for many years, but unfortunately-timed injuries prevented him from showing that consistently at a higher level

The Scot had the natural ability to perform further up the pyramid, and following promotion with Wednesday in 2005, the midfielder was in great form and riding the crest of a wave.

The following campaign, blighted by fitness issues, put a halt to that upward trajectory, though, and while McGovern went on to star for Swindon and Carlisle in the third and fourth tier, he'll look back on the disappointment of 2005/06 with a sense of what might have been.