Class act has built on his City schooling

SHEA Charles' understated excellence in the Sheffield Wednesday engine room should come as no surprise the 21-year-old learned from the best.

- Chris Dunlavy

As a teenager at Manchester City, Charles would relentlessly badger five-time Premier League title-winner Fernandinho and current anchorman Rodri, who in October pipped Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior to the Ballon d'Or.

"I'd watch them, learn from them, ask loads of questions," he told the Belfast Telegraph in 2023, shortly after winning the fifth of his 23 caps for Northern Ireland.

"I took in everything. The reading of the game, tactical intelligence and having a good range of passing - it's so important in my position." All those qualities have been in evidence at Hillsborough since Charles arrived on a season-long loan from Southampton in August.

Supporters at St Mary's were surprised and somewhat dismayed to see him join Wednesday, where his younger brother Pierce, 19, plays as a goalkeeper.

Charles made 32 Championship appearances for the Saints following a £12m switch from City in the summer of 2023 and was a regular starter as Russell Martin's side went 25 games unbeaten en route to promotion.

Though he fell out of favour down the home straight -Martin said Charles was fatigued - he was widely expected to form part of the Premier League squad.