Sheffield Wednesday did not get what Plymouth Argyle did from £1.5m Preston North End man | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle supporters will have very different memories of Preston North End defender Lewis Gibson.

After the club's devastating relegation to League One, Darren Moore oversaw a huge overhaul of the Sheffield Wednesday squad in the summer of 2021.

Wednesday had been relegated from the Championship the previous season after being hit with a six-point deduction for breaking spending rules, and amid a chaotic off-field situation, the club looked ill-prepared to make an immediate return to the second tier.

It was a turbulent summer for the Owls following relegation, and with a host of issues needing to be resolved, including the late payment of player salaries, Moore was unable to get his rebuild underway until relatively late in the window.

Wednesday did not make their first signing until July 10th, just four weeks before the start of the season, but a flurry of new additions then arrived, including the likes of Jack Hunt, George Byers, Marvin Johnson and Lee Gregory.

Moore earned widespread praise from Owls supporters for his impressive recruitment, particularly considering the financial restrictions he was working under, and he also made excellent use of the loan market, with Everton defender Lewis Gibson one player who made the temporary move to Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday never got to see the best of Lewis Gibson

After coming through the Everton academy, Gibson had spells on loan with Fleetwood Town and Reading, making 13 appearances for the latter in the Championship in the 2020-21 season.

Given Gibson's second tier experience, he looked like another shrewd signing for Wednesday, and, much to Moore's delight, he was capable of playing as a left-sided centre-back, which is a quality he had been keen to recruit during the summer.

However, a calf injury plagued Gibson during the early stages of his time at Hillsborough, and he did not make his debut until early October when he started in a 2-1 win at Mansfield Town in the EFL Trophy.

Despite only playing the opening 45 minutes of the game, Gibson certainly caught the eye during the victory over the Stags, and his composure with the ball at his feet suggested that he could provide the Owls with something they had been lacking up to that point.

Gibson made his long-awaited league debut a few days later in the 1-0 win over Bolton Wanderers, but after a strong first-half performance, he was forced off at the break with a muscular problem, and having returned to parent club Everton for treatment, Moore admitted he was unsure whether the defender's time in South Yorkshire would have to be cut short.

The 24-year-old did eventually resume his loan spell with Wednesday, and he provided an assist on his comeback in the 3-1 win at Doncaster Rovers in mid-February, which marked the start of a brief spell in the team.

Gibson helped the Owls to emphatic victories over Burton Albion and Cambridge United during his two starts in early March, but the rout of the U's would prove to be his final appearance for the club as he was once again struck by injury, and he was forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates went on to suffer defeat against Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals.

In total, Gibson made just six appearances during his time at Hillsborough, but, incredibly, Wednesday won every single one of the games he featured in, which will surely have only increased Moore's frustration that he was unable to stay fit.

Sheffield Wednesday will be envious of Plymouth Argyle's Lewis Gibson experience

Any Wednesday supporter who saw Gibson in action would have been in no doubt of his quality, and he enjoyed a relatively injury-free stint on loan at Bristol Rovers in League One in the 2022-23 season, scoring one goal in 33 appearances for the Gas.

After returning from his spell at the Memorial Stadium, Gibson was offered a new contract by Everton, but he rejected their proposal in order to join newly-promoted Championship side Plymouth Argyle.

Gibson quickly established himself in the team at Home Park, and while it was a turbulent season for the Pilgrims that saw them dragged into a relegation battle following the departure of Steven Schumacher to Stoke City in December, the defender was able to help the club to safety, contributing to 10 clean sheets in the 41 league games in which he featured.

On an individual level, Gibson made a total of 76 blocks throughout the season, as well as 85 tackles and interceptions and 201 clearances, underlining the solidity he brought to the heart of the Argyle defence.

Gibson remained a virtual ever-present for Plymouth in the first half of this season under Wayne Rooney, and with regular captain Joe Edwards sidelined by injury, he was frequently handed the armband by the ex-England international.

Despite being part of one of the leakiest defences in the Championship, Gibson did enough to earn himself a move to Preston North End in January, with the Lilywhites reportedly paying a fee of £1.5 million to land his services, and he has immediately become a crucial part of Paul Heckingbottom's side.

As Gibson continues to impress in the second tier, Wednesday will be left to wonder what could have been if he had remained fit throughout his loan spell, but his subsequent success will not be a surprise to those who caught a glimpse of his ability at Hillsborough.