Switch to Leeds offers Wickham chance of different road to Wembley
Yorkshire Post 28/2/14
by Leon Wobschall
CONNOR WICKHAM may have potentially sacrificed Wembley glory with Sunderland to head to Leeds United – but is not yet giving up on an appearance at the home of football this season.
The 20-year-old has joined United on loan for the rest of the season and while gatecrashing the Championship top-six looks a decidedly onerous task for him and his new team-mates, he insists it’s not beyond the realms of possibility yet.
As it stands, Leeds are seven points adrift of the play-off positions, but that hasn’t stopped Wickham, whose parent club face Manchester City in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final, eyeing a play-off final date at the end of May.
Wickham, who scored two goals for the Black Cats in their round two victory over MK Dons and has made two appearances for the Wearsiders in the competition this term, said: “I hope I would have been involved. I helped the team get through to the final, so I would have liked to have been there.
“But first things first, I need to play football. Whether it’s at Wembley or anywhere in the country. Good luck to the lads, I’ll watch the game, but I’m here.
“I said to my agent ‘get me to Leeds.’ They are a Premier League club and that’s where they need to be. I have come in and hopefully we can make the push for the play-offs.
“That is where we want to be and we have got 15 games. We need to make the push and then who knows.”
The 20-year-old, who cost Sunderland £8.1m back in 2011, is aiming to carry on at Leeds where he left off down the M1 at Sheffield Wednesday, where he fired eight goals in 11 games in a bountiful loan spell to help get the Owls season out of first gear.
His haul included a strike against Leeds in the 6-0 televised demolition in January and despite Wednesday’s bid to sign him for a third spell, he says the lure of United proved irresistible, even if it means losing a ‘few friends’ at Hillsborough.
Wickham, who will wear the No 9 jersey at Leeds, said: “Football’s a small world and obviously you are going to lose a few friends. But I am thankful to Sheffield Wednesday for what they did.
“They gave me the opportunity when maybe no-one else would and I did well.
“I made a lot of friends but now I’m here at Leeds and I need to concentrate on pushing us up the table.”
Meanwhile, Leeds manager Brian McDermott has revealed that he is hoping to add another new face to add to his high-profile signings of Wickham and goalkeeper Jack Butland, but it is unlikely to come before Saturday’s trip to QPR.
by Leon Wobschall
CONNOR WICKHAM may have potentially sacrificed Wembley glory with Sunderland to head to Leeds United – but is not yet giving up on an appearance at the home of football this season.
The 20-year-old has joined United on loan for the rest of the season and while gatecrashing the Championship top-six looks a decidedly onerous task for him and his new team-mates, he insists it’s not beyond the realms of possibility yet.
As it stands, Leeds are seven points adrift of the play-off positions, but that hasn’t stopped Wickham, whose parent club face Manchester City in Sunday’s Capital One Cup final, eyeing a play-off final date at the end of May.
Wickham, who scored two goals for the Black Cats in their round two victory over MK Dons and has made two appearances for the Wearsiders in the competition this term, said: “I hope I would have been involved. I helped the team get through to the final, so I would have liked to have been there.
“But first things first, I need to play football. Whether it’s at Wembley or anywhere in the country. Good luck to the lads, I’ll watch the game, but I’m here.
“I said to my agent ‘get me to Leeds.’ They are a Premier League club and that’s where they need to be. I have come in and hopefully we can make the push for the play-offs.
“That is where we want to be and we have got 15 games. We need to make the push and then who knows.”
The 20-year-old, who cost Sunderland £8.1m back in 2011, is aiming to carry on at Leeds where he left off down the M1 at Sheffield Wednesday, where he fired eight goals in 11 games in a bountiful loan spell to help get the Owls season out of first gear.
His haul included a strike against Leeds in the 6-0 televised demolition in January and despite Wednesday’s bid to sign him for a third spell, he says the lure of United proved irresistible, even if it means losing a ‘few friends’ at Hillsborough.
Wickham, who will wear the No 9 jersey at Leeds, said: “Football’s a small world and obviously you are going to lose a few friends. But I am thankful to Sheffield Wednesday for what they did.
“They gave me the opportunity when maybe no-one else would and I did well.
“I made a lot of friends but now I’m here at Leeds and I need to concentrate on pushing us up the table.”
Meanwhile, Leeds manager Brian McDermott has revealed that he is hoping to add another new face to add to his high-profile signings of Wickham and goalkeeper Jack Butland, but it is unlikely to come before Saturday’s trip to QPR.
