Steve Bruce is not popular at Sheffield Wednesday but he was right about “big asset” in 2019 | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday supporters will be thankful to former manager Steve Bruce for the signing of defender Dominic Iorfa in 2019.

It is fair to say that Steve Bruce will not be fondly remembered at Sheffield Wednesday after departing the club for Newcastle United in the summer of 2019 following just over six months in charge.

Bruce was appointed Wednesday manager in January 2019, and after the club had experienced a dismal year under his predecessor, Jos Luhukay, his arrival helped to bring positivity and optimism back to Hillsborough.

Having won promotion to the Premier League on four previous occasions during his career, Owls supporters hoped that Bruce could be the man to lead them back to the promised land, and they quickly rose up the Championship table under his guidance.

It was always going to be a tough ask for Wednesday to make the play-offs after their poor first half of the campaign, and a late-season decline in form saw them finish in 12th place, but many went into the summer believing that a promotion challenge could be on the cards under Bruce in the following season.

Those dreams came crashing down when Bruce walked out just weeks before the start of the 2019-20 campaign to take over at Newcastle, and the anger of the Owls fan base was increased by the fact the 64-year-old had dismissed rumours about a potential move to St James' Park just days before his exit.

Bruce is unlikely to ever be fully forgiven for the manner of his departure, but Wednesday supporters do at least have one thing to be thankful to him about, and the signing of defender Dominic Iorfa is arguably his lasting legacy at the club.

Steve Bruce's Dominic Iorfa prediction was proven right

Bruce was confirmed as Wednesday manager in early January 2019, but he did not officially start work at the club until the end of the month, meaning that there was little chance for him to strengthen the squad in the transfer window.

However, a flurry of late activity saw Iorfa, Achraf Lazaar and Rolando Aarons arrive at Hillsborough on deadline day, and while the latter pair failed to make an impact, the same cannot be said for Iorfa.

Iorfa made the move from Wolverhampton Wanderers for a reported fee of around £500,000, and given the vast Championship experience he had acquired at Molineux, as well as during his loan spell at Ipswich Town, he looked to be a shrewd addition for the Owls.

Bruce was certainly optimistic that Iorfa would prove to be a strong signing, telling The Yorkshire Post: "I am sure he (Iorfa) will be a big asset to us. He has got all the attributes that I think you need to play for Sheffield Wednesday.

"He is big, powerful, quick and strong and we need a bit more of people like him."

As Bruce left Wednesday after just 18 games in charge, he never got to see the best of Iorfa, but the defender's performances over the subsequent years have certainly validated the veteran manager's confidence that he would be a success in South Yorkshire.

Dominic Iorfa deal was a bargain for Sheffield Wednesday

Iorfa enjoyed the perfect start to his Wednesday career as he scored an equaliser on his debut in the 10th minute of stoppage time to salvage a point in a 2-2 draw with local rivals Rotherham United, and that would be a sign of things to come from the defender.

Having played much of his career at right-back, Iorfa was frequently deployed as a centre-back by Bruce's successor, Garry Monk, in the 2019-20 season, and he seamlessly adapted to his new role, winning the club's Player of the Year award after a host of impressive performances at the heart of defence.

The following season proved to be much more frustrating for Iorfa as he was forced to watch the Owls suffer relegation from the Championship from the sidelines due to a serious Achilles injury, but in a commendable display of loyalty, he opted to sign a new contract at the club in the summer of 2021, despite the fact that he was undoubtedly capable of playing at a higher level than League One.

Iorfa's decision to stay with Wednesday was vindicated as they achieved promotion back to the second tier via the play-offs in the 2022-23 campaign, and the 29-year-old was part of a defence that kept an incredible 24 clean sheets during the regular season, which set a new club record.

Preston North End and Dinamo Zagreb were both said to be keen on Iorfa in the summer of 2023, but he again decided to remain with the Owls, and he helped Danny Rohl's side pull off one of the greatest escapes in Championship history last season.

Iorfa was rewarded with another new contract in the summer, and while injuries have plagued him at times this season, he is one of the first names on Rohl's team sheet when fit, and he is closing in on 200 appearances for the club.

Affectionately nicknamed 'the fastest man in Yorkshire' by Wednesday supporters, Iorfa has undoubtedly been a crucial player for the club over the past six years, and his signing was one of the only positives from Bruce's ill-fated tenure.