Sheffield Wednesday missed out on Cardiff City, Derby County factor with forgettable Darren Moore signing | OneFootball

The Owls did not see the best of a winger who impressed with the Bluebirds and the Rams.

Sheffield Wednesday supporters did not get to see the best of a winger who was signed by Darren Moore in November 2021.

The Owls were a few months into their first season down in League One following relegation from the Championship when manager Darren Moore signed Nathaniel Mendez-Laing on a free transfer.

The attacker had been released by Middlesbrough in the summer of 2021, and he arrived at Hillsborough having spent three of the previous four seasons in the Championship, while he had scored four goals in the Premier League for Cardiff City during the 2018/19 campaign.

Moore explained his reasons for signing Mendez-Laing at the time, as per The Star.

"I thought it was right to bring him in because with his experience and his know-how it gives us something completely different in those attacking areas," Moore said.

"You want to keep that power, that speed and that threat at the top end of the pitch.

"It's good to have that quality at your disposal."

Mendez-Laing's spell at Hillsborough was short-lived

After joining in November 2021, Mendez-Laing spent the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign at Hillsborough, although he did not quite make the impact he would have hoped for.

He enjoyed a good run of form between mid-January and early February, during which he scored two goals and provided two assists, contributing to important victories against Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town.

However, his only other goal contribution over the course of the campaign was an assist during a win at home against Crewe Alexandra in April.

Mendez-Laing played just 19 times for Sheffield Wednesday in all competitions, with his final outing for the Owls being a cameo appearance in their second-leg defeat against Sunderland in the play-off semi-final.

The winger decided to turn down the offer of a contract extension in the summer of 2022, instead choosing to sign for Derby County on a free transfer following their relegation to League One, meaning that he would be turning out for one of the Owls' promotion rivals the following season.

He explained his decision to move to Pride Park in an interview with Rams TV, as per The Star.

"There has been interest from elsewhere but I think once I heard of Derby's interest, it was something I wanted to keep in touch with," Mendez-Laing said.

"The facilities are unreal. It's a massive club.

"It's a great place to be and I just want to get going now."

Sheffield Wednesday did not see the best of Mendez-Laing

It would be fair to say that Cardiff City and Derby County supporters got to see a version of Mendez-Laing that Sheffield Wednesday fans were only able to witness on a few occasions.

Mendez-Laing was a sensation during his debut campaign at Cardiff in 2017/18, helping the Bluebirds to a shock promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock before impressing in limited minutes at top-flight level as they suffered relegation.

He left South Wales with 25 goal contributions under his belt, and was arguably even more impressive at Derby.

The Rams also benefitted from having Mendez-Laing on the wing, as he scored 21 goals and provided 33 assists during his time with the Rams, helping the club make a return to the Championship.

He posted a superb career-best return of nine goals and 16 assists in the 2023/24 term as Derby achieved promotion back to the Championship and he also played his part in ensuring survival before leaving for a reunion with Paul Warne at League Two side MK Dons last month.

There is no doubt that the Owls did not experience the same level of influence from Mendez-Laing during his single season at the club, hence the signing was one that is easily forgettable.