Noel Whelan during his Middlesbrough playing days

Noel Whelan looks at the potential options for England in the Sky Bet EFL

By Tom Carnduff

17:05 · WED September 05, 2018

Former Leeds, Middlesbrough and Millwall striker Noel Whelan discusses Sheffield Wednesday and England's next star.

Attitude an issue for Wednesday?

Sheffield Wednesday are beginning to bounce back following a slow start to the 2018/19 season.

The Owls are enjoying a three-game winning run going into the international break, with victories over Millwall, Ipswich and most recently Reading giving them nine points from a possible nine.

Fernando Forestieri has two goals to his name already this season, although he has found himself on the substitutes bench during the last three outings.

The 28-year-old has been involved in some controversy since making the switch to Hillsborough from Watford in August 2015.

The striker refused to play for the club before a 0-0 draw at Norwich amidst speculation linking him with a move away.

"If I could turn back the clock I would but I cannot," Forestieri said at the time

"Sometimes in life you have to make mistakes so you can learn from them. All I can do is ask for forgiveness from everyone who has been so supportive towards myself and my family during my very happy time at Hillsborough so far."

Fernando Forestieri in action for Sheffield Wednesday

Whelan though, believes that the attitude of a player is more important than the ability they possess on the pitch.

"I don't think there is any room in the changing room for attitudes like that," Whelan told Sporting Life's Sky Bet Championship podcast.

"You've seen it once before, not this season but in seasons ahead of this new campaign, transfer requests and then apologising. Look, if a team really wants you, you won't have to put in a transfer request, it's a simple as that.

"Diseases spread, and you don't need attitudes like that, it just takes one person."

As a former professional himself, playing for the likes of Coventry, Middlesbrough and Leeds, Whelan knows all about the atmosphere in a team dressing room.

Referring back to his insider knowledge in that situation, he continued: "There's people in there that you don't need. Everyone is pushing in the right direction and trying to achieve their goal which is promotion.

"It only takes one player in there who hasn't got the right attitude, it doesn't matter about the quality you possess, it's about the attitude.

"Once you have that one player in there, it can spread, and you can get little groups and you don't need that and managers don't need that."

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England boss Gareth Southgate has recently said that he may have to look to the Sky Bet Championship for players to be involved in the national set-up.

"I can't rule out players in the Championship now as our pool is getting smaller and smaller," Southgate stated.

"One of our biggest concerns is playing time for English players, shown by a number of the squad that came with us to Russia not getting opportunities to play.

"More concerning is that young players that may be coming through to challenge are not getting opportunities to play."

This was a big talking point on Sporting Life's Sky Bet Championship podcast, and Whelan has identified seven players who could be good enough for a call-up to the England senior squad.

Jack Butland - "Really experienced and he's been in the international set-up for a little while now. Probably could have left Stoke at the end of the season and gone to a club in the Premier League"

Aden Flint and George Friend - "I think they're two players that he has got to be looking at for that international set-up at some stage. Friend has been very consistent over a number of years now in playing that wing-back role. Loads of quality is there."

Jack Grealish - "Obviously, he is a stand-out in this Aston Villa side. He could have gone to a Premier League club but they decided to keep hold of him."

Ryan Woods - "Very composed on the ball. The kind of player that you would like to see in there. He's quite disciplined, he has come from a good background at Brentford where I thought he was excellent. He would give Jack Grealish that little bit of licence to go and be creative."

Dwight Gayle - "He's a goalscorer. I think in a set-up with better players and some good service he'll probably score a bag full and I think he will do in this Sky Bet Championship season as well. He's not just a natural goalscorer but his overall game is great, he's not scared to run into the channels and he holds the ball well. He has loads of intelligence."

Ollie Watkins - "I think he has been excellent. A very clever player, loads of potential there too."