Brunt on Owls future - exclusive

Last updated : 15 May 2007 By Andy Parsons

The Owls winger was in scintillating form this season scoring ten goals, most of them spectacular, and was one of the stand-out performers in a much-improved season at Hillsborough.

The Northern Ireland star has always admitted he would like to ply his trade in the Premiership and Reading and Manchester City have both been linked with his services but as far as Brunt knows, he will be an Owl next season.


"I haven't heard anything," he told Footymad. "Obviously papers talk but speculation about player's futures is recognition of how well we are playing, and credit to our team if other clubs are looking at our players. It's flattering to be linked with other teams but I am contracted to Sheffield Wednesday and will stay here until I am told otherwise."


Brunt has just come off the back of his best season for goals although he did initially feel a hint of sadness that he could not add to his impressive tally.


He said: "It was good to score as many as I did but it was disappointing I didn't add more towards the end of the season but if someone said at the start of the season I would get ten goals I would have snapped their hands off."


The former Middlesbrough product has also made strides to becoming a regular in the international set-up and thinks that Northern Ireland will miss Lawrie Sanchez, who has quit the national team role to be full-time manager of Fulham.


He added: "Lawrie deserves his chance in the Premiership after his performances in charge of Northern Ireland and he has done a great job for us because we were going nowhere when he took over but now we are top of the group and we're a force to be reckoned with which is a massive credit to him.


"But it's a big step up to the Premiership and he has done well because he's kept Fulham up. It's a bad thing for Northern Ireland although being a full-time Premiership manager will be a big thing for Lawrie Sanchez but in football you have to look after yourself."