Sheffield Wednesday warned to avoid "nightmare" Pierce Charles situation | OneFootball

FLW's Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit has been discussing the long-term Owls future of breakthrough goalkeeper, Pierce Charles.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Sheffield Wednesday have endured an up and down season, but one of the brighter sparks has been the emergence of Pierce Charles.

The 19-year-old goalkeeper had previously spent time with Manchester City, before being picked up by Wednesday.

He would sign his first professional contract with the Owls in 2022 after graduating from the club's academy, and would make his debut in an FA Cup tie against Coventry City last season.

The Northern Ireland international has been handed the chance to take on the starting role in favour of James Beadle for the last few weeks of the season, and the teenager has been putting in some highly impressive performances.

As a result, teams from the Premier League, German Bundesliga and the top-end of the Championship are all reportedly monitoring his progress at Hillsborough ahead of a potential move in the near future.

The young keeper is contracted with Sheffield Wednesday through the 2026/27 season.

"Testament to his character" - Pierce Charles' Sheffield Wednesday impact outlined

We asked our Sheffield Wednesday fan pundit, Patrick McKenna: 'Premier League and Bundesliga teams are watching Pierce Charles. What price should Sheffield Wednesday be considering this summer if they are to cash in? Or is he indispensable?'

McKenna said: "I think that it's important we play this one right.

"The nightmare scenario would be that in a few years' time he goes for free, and we haven't tied him down to a contract.

"He showed the other day the talent that he has. It was his best performance as a professional, I'd say, either for Sheffield Wednesday or Northern Ireland.

"But he is still a young keeper. Let's remember his age, and in the previous game, he made an error. It is a testament to his character that he bounced back, but in the games he's played, he's really shown his ability with his feet.

"His distribution is excellent, and the Stoke game showed his shot-stopping ability at its finest. But, he certainly is going to have to be someone that we sell for a good price."

"Still development to be done" - Sheffield Wednesday told to be patient with Pierce Charles sale

Knowing when to cash in on a player can be a really challenging thing for football clubs to get right.

On the one hand, an instant cash injection, especially for a club like Sheffield Wednesday, could be extremely tempting and help them out in the short-term.

On the other, exercising patience and banking on the fact the player will only continue to improve may not line the club's pockets straight away, but it could mean they fetch an even greater price further down the line.

It's the latter that McKenna believes should be the course of action taken by Sheffield Wednesday in regard to Pierce.

"But, I honestly think the next step for his development, and really what's best for his career, we have to consider that as well," McKenna continued.

"It just can't be a case of us looking to cash in because we are in the financial difficulties we are. If we either give him a full season at Wednesday, or whether it's on loan just to develop him that bit more, it would also mean that in a few years' time, we could sell him for even more.

"So certainly, he is going to be a saleable asset for us, and we will make money for him, but let's not jump in too soon. There's still development to be done.

"So, let's get the best done for Pierce and his career, make sure that we don't let his contract run down, and sell him in a few years' time for a really good price."