Jeff Hendrick on excitement of playing for Sheffield Wednesday fans and the chat that made the move

The midfield man was signed on loan from Newcastle United on deadline day and after returning from international duty with the Republic of Ireland trained for the first time with his new clubmates on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old spoke to Owls boss Xisco at the outset of the switch and excited by what he heard was convinced the move was right for him.

“It took a couple of days in all but [for the deal to be completed] for me I think it’s going to be a great decision,” Hendrick told swfc.co.uk.

“Talking to the manager and hearing about his philosophy and the way he wants to play was really exciting. He knows the game well and I felt it was something that I wanted to join.

“It was long and drawn out for me. Ideally it would have been nice to get it done couple of days before or early that day so that I could have been in the squad for Leeds.

“Obviously that wasn’t to be but the lads went out and got a great point against Leeds.

“Now it’s time for me to get going with the lads, get training and put myself in contention for a place.”

Hendrick is an experienced campaigner having racked up 402 appearances in the top two tiers of English football.

He’s played three times as a Derby County player at Hillsborough and scored in a 2-2 draw back in the 2012/23 season.

And the prospect of playing there for Wednesday supporters rather than against them is one that has excited him ahead of possible involvement in the visit of Ipswich Town on Saturday.

“The atmosphere is always brilliant,” he said. “It’s always a tough place to come as part of an opposition team so to be a part of that now is really exciting. Hopefully the fans will be behind us on Saturday and we can get a good result.”

Forced on the spot for his initiation duties at the start of his first session, a rendition of seminal 1990 rap hit ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ came as a surprise to teammates expecting some rock from the long-haired, tattooed Dubliner.

But it settled him into life at Middlewood Road, to a new set of teammates not entirely foreign to him.

“I know a couple of the lads from playing against them,” he said. “Over the years you have friends of friends who know the lads.

“It’s been grand, they’ve been very welcoming. The first thing I had to do was get in the circle and sing a song for them, so any pressure you have gets squashed there and then.

“It got threw on me. The manager took me right out into the circle and said ‘X Factor time!’

“I could have crumbled on the spot but just had to sing something and entertain the lads for a bit.”