Sheffield Wednesday's top 10 most valuable academy graduates right now (Ranked) | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday have produced several quality talents from their academy and may need to turn to it once again as they aim for Championship survival.

A dramatic season would be an understatement for how last year unfolded for Sheffield Wednesday. A three-horse race - including Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town - saw all three teams vying for the top two spots in League One, a late-season slump from Darren Moore's side meaning they were the ones to drop out of the hunt by the final day.

Play-off pandemonium soon struck, however, overcoming a 4-0 defeat in the first play-off leg against Peterborough United to come back and win on penalties at Hillsborough. A trip to Wembley on the cards, Josh Windass was the hero, finding the back of the net in the 123rd minute against locals Barnsley to send the Owls back to the Championship after a two-year absence.

Transfers have since been made to revitalise the squad, including a host of defenders such as Pol Valentín, Di'Shon Bernard, Bambo Diaby along with the return of Reece James. Notably down the other end, Ashley Fletcher hopes to get in amongst the goals with the likes of Juan Delgado and Anthony Musaba looking to supply him.

Nevertheless, it will not be a total squad overhaul, with the tried and trusted members of last campaign needed once again, including one or two academy graduates. With this in mind, we take a look at the most valuable academy prospects to come out of Hillsborough right now and how they are faring in the professional game.

10 Liam Palmer - €300k

A familiar face at Hillsborough, Palmer has been a regular for Sheffield Wednesday since the 2013/14 season and been involved in a range of different highs and lows the club has experienced in recent years.

The right-back, barring a loan spell to Tranmere Rovers in 2012, has only ever played for the Owls, registering more than 300 league appearances for the club in both the second and third tier. Now 31, he continues to be a valuable asset on the right-side of the defence and will be required once again for a challenging Championship campaign.

9 Mark Beevers - €300k

Another defenders, Beevers came through the ranks before making his senior debut in January 2007 for the Owls. He would later go on to make more than 100 appearances for the club before departing permanently to Millwall in 2013 following an initial loan spell.

The 33-year-old continued to be a regular in the EFL, amassing more than a century of outings for both the Lions and Peterborough United before picking up his third promotion with Posh in 2021.

A change of scenery beckoning, the centre-back continues to ply his trade down under in the A-League for Perth Glory.

8 Preslav Borukov - €400k

Preslav Borukov came through the ranks at Sheffield Wednesday after arriving from Bulgaria, making the matchday squad on a handful occasions but was never given the opportunity to impress for the Owls.

The forward has since returned to Bulgaria, playing for the likes of Etar Veliko Tarnovo, Lokomotiv Plovdiv and currently FC Arda Kardzhali in the top-flight as well as a short stint at Hungarian side Zalaegerszegi TE in what has been a well-travelled career so far for the 23-year-old.

7 Sean Clare - €400k

The 26-year-old has enjoyed a range of spells across the EFL since graduating from the academy, including five appearances for the Owls in the 2017-18 Championship campaign. Clare played for Bury, Accrington Stanley and Gillingham while still a Wednesday player before moving to the Scottish capital permanently to play for Hearts.

A two-year stint was brought to an end with a move back down to England with Oxford United before moving on once again this time to Charlton Athletic in 2021, following a short loan stint at Burton Albion.

The 26-year-old has since found a new permanent home, joining Wigan Athletic's revival in League One as the Latics eye a return to the second tier.

6 Joe Wildsmith - €400k

Wildsmith's game time was sporadic when spread across his time at Sheffield Wednesday. Making his debut in August 2015, he later became a regular in the league for the 2017-18 campaign, making 26 appearances before only making nine the following season.

With that number dropping to three in his final year in Sheffield, he moved to Derby County in 2022 amid the financial woes and was a mainstay in between the sticks, playing all 46 league games for the Rams in their quest for a play-off spot.

5 Liam Shaw - €500k

The midfielder proved to be a top talent in the Sheffield Wednesday midfield, becoming more of a regular in the first team during the 2020/21 season, playing 19 times as the Owls finished rock bottom of the Championship.

Shaw did not stay around for the League One challenge, however, after already agreeing to join Celtic that summer. Limited to just one appearance as the Scottish giants won the league title, he joined Motherwell before spending the whole of last season with Morecambe, playing 34 times in another relegation campaign.

The 22-year-old now joins fellow academy graduate Sean Clare at the DW Stadium on a season-long loan.

4 Cameron Dawson - €500k

Dawson has been a key member in Sheffield Wednesday's return to the Championship, playing 22 times last season - including all play-off outings. Competing with the likes of David Stockdale and Joe Wildsmith over the years, the 28-year-old has fought for his place in goal, honing his craft with Alfreton Town, Chesterfield, Wycombe and Exeter City on loan to assert himself into the first-team picture.

Back in the second tier, Dawson will now have to fight AC Milan shot-stopper Devis Vásquez for the number one spot.

3 Osaze Urhoghide - €600k

While not coming through the ranks at Wednesday and instead at AFC Wimbledon, he initially came through the under 23s setup at Hillsborough after a successful trial period.

He made 19 appearances for the Owls across two seasons before joining Liam Shaw in a move to Celtic following Wednesday's relegation to the third tier. Game time with the Scottish giants, however, was significantly hampered with a move to Belgian top-flight outfit K.V. Oostende on loan a chance to get more senior minutes under his belt.

Following the end of the deal, he decided to call time on his spell in Glasgow, moving permanently to French second-tier side Amiens SC ahead of this season.

2 George Hirst - €800k

Following in his father's footsteps, George Hirst hoped to make a name for himself at Hillsborough after coming through the academy. He made just one appearance, however, before moving across the continent for a change of scenery; Belgian side OH Leuven his next destination.

Such move proved fruitful in terms of senior experience but it wasn't long before he was on the move again, joining the Leicester City ranks. Time with the Foxes' first team was limited with numerous Championship and League One loans to follow to mixed success.

Opportunities at Rotherham United, Portsmouth and Blackburn Rovers were enlightening if not prolific experiences for the youngster before establishing himself at Ipswich Town in the second half of last season. Scoring six goals in 14 starts, he decided to make his move to Portman Road permanent ahead of this season.

1 Jamie Vardy - €2.5 million

An infamous journey from non-league to Premier League champion, Sheffield Wednesday was where it all began for Jamie Vardy.

Failing to move into the senior setup at Hillsborough, it kickstarted a journey in non-league for the Sheffield local, where prolific spells at Halifax Town and Fleetwood caught the eye of Leicester City. Scoring 25 goals in his first three seasons for the Foxes - including their Championship-winning campaign - he sprung to life in 2016 with a vintage display, scoring 24 goals and six assists as Leicester stunned the footballing world to claim the Premier League against all odds.

Far from a one-season wonder, Vardy continued to score goals at will, scoring more than 100 goals since then, winning both the FA Cup and Community Shield in such time. Now 35, he was far from his usual goalscoring last season, scoring just three times in their relegation campaign and will hope to spur his team on to an instant return to the top flight.