Sheffield Wednesday were right to swerve 2019 manager call but he remains a cult hero | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday decided against appointing former player Lee Bullen as permanent manager in 2019 after three caretaker spells.

Lee Bullen will be fondly remembered by Sheffield Wednesday supporters after a lengthy association with the club as a player and coach that spanned almost two decades.

Bullen first joined Wednesday on a free transfer in the summer of 2004 after his departure from Dunfermline Athletic, and after a varied playing career that had seen him spend time in Scotland, Australia, Hong Kong and Greece, the move to Hillsborough was his first taste of English football.

The defender made an immediate impact in an Owls shirt, and he captained the side to promotion from League One in his first season at the club, with Paul Sturrock's side securing their return to the Championship after a dramatic 4-2 win over Hartlepool United in the play-off final at the Milennium Stadium in Cardiff.

Bullen did not just provide Wednesday with defensive solidity during their promotion-winning campaign, he also chipped in with seven goals and one assist in 52 appearances, and he established himself as a firm fan favourite.

The Scot was handed the captain's armband on a permanent basis in November 2005 following the retirement of Chris Marsden, and he helped the Owls remain in the second tier for the next three seasons as they achieved 19th, ninth and 16th-placed finishes respectively.

Bullen was released by Wednesday at the end of his contract in the summer of 2008, and he went on to finish his playing career with Falkirk, but it would not be long until he would return to South Yorkshire.

Lee Bullen's Sheffield Wednesday coaching career

Bullen returned to Wednesday in 2011 when he became head coach of the development squad, and four years later, he was promoted to the role of first team assistant manager under Carlos Carvalhal.

The Owls reached the Championship play-offs in two consecutive seasons under Carvalhal, and while they were unable to achieve promotion to the Premier League, it was a memorable period for the club, with Bullen playing an important role in the success.

After Carvalhal left the club in December 2017, Bullen took caretaker charge, and he won one and drew one of his four games at the helm before Jos Luhukay was appointed as permanent manager the following month.

Luhukay's tenure proved to be a disaster, and after the Dutchman was dismissed in December 2018 following less than a year at Hillsborough, Bullen once again found himself stepping in as interim manager.

It was widely known that Steve Bruce was being lined up as Luhukay's replacement, so there was little chance of Bullen landing the permanent role, but he did an excellent job to steady the ship ahead of the 63-year-old's arrival, winning two and drawing two of his four games in charge.

After Bruce controversially walked out on Wednesday to take over at Newcastle United just weeks before the start of the 2019-20 season, Bullen was named caretaker manager for a third time, and his side sat top of the table after winning their first two league games.

It looked as though Bullen was certain to be given the full-time job at that point, but three defeats in the next four games followed, and he was once again overlooked, with Garry Monk being appointed in early September.

As part of a coaching staff restructure under Monk in the summer of 2020, Bullen returned to his previous role in the academy, and he departed Hillsborough in January 2022 to become manager of Scottish Championship side Ayr United.

It is fair to say that Bullen did a solid job in each of his three caretaker spells, and he admitted that he was keen to land the permanent role after taking over following Bruce's departure in 2019.

Considering that Bullen had overseen the first month of the season, and the fact Wednesday were sitting just a few points from the play-off places, he could rightfully have claimed that he deserved to be given an opportunity on a full-time basis.

However, there were clear signs that the Owls would struggle to maintain their strong early-season form, and while Monk turned out to be a poor choice as Bruce's permanent replacement, it does not necessarily mean that owner Dejphon Chansiri was wrong not to appoint Bullen.

As he remained part of the coaching staff during a challenging period for the club under Monk, Bullen was unfairly partially blamed for the negative results, and he revealed that he was "hurt" by some of the criticism he received from the fan base.

Having failed to secure the job on three occasions, Bullen conceded that he had to leave Wednesday if he was to launch his own managerial career, and he was finally given the chance to become a number one with Ayr in 2022.

Bullen led the Honest Men to a second-place finish in the Scottish Championship in the 2022-23 campaign, but they were beaten by Partick Thistle in the promotion play-offs, and after a disappointing start to last season, he departed Somerset Park in January.

The 53-year-old's spell at Ayr would have done little to make Chansiri regret not appointing him permanently in 2019, and given the harsh criticism he faced during the latter stages of his time with the Owls, it was probably best for all parties that he was not given the job.

Bullen's story at Hillsborough may not have ended in the way he would have hoped, but his reputation as a cult hero has not been damaged by his caretaker stints, and his role in the play-off success in 2005 has earned him a place in Wednesday history.