- Sam Hutchinson signed two-year deal with Wednesday
- Utility man grateful to Stuart Gray
- Ex-Chelsea ace looking forward to fresh start
Sam Hutchinson says he feels he owes the Owls a debt of gratitude following his permanent switch to Hillsborough this week.
The versatile 24-year-old, out of contract with Premiership giants Chelsea, penned a two-year deal with Wednesday following his successful loan spell last season and immediately made it clear S6 was his number one destination.
He said: “There were other clubs interested in me but this one was the one I wanted because they were so good to me last season.
“Stuart Gray was loyal to me, he gave me a chance to prove myself and I like to think I did that.
“So as soon as the opportunity came for me to sign here on a permanent basis, I only had one goal in mind.
“I am a very loyal person, I was with Chelsea for 17 years, and Sheffield Wednesday is the next chapter of my career.
“This is a massive club with massive support and I can’t wait to get started.”
Hutchinson featured ten times for the Owls last time out, a statistic that would undoubtedly have been higher had the combative utility man not received two red cards during his temporary spell.
But the England Under-21 international insists those dismissals were a by-product of working his way back to full fitness after a lack of game time.
He explained: “My timing of tackles wasn’t 100 per cent and when you are just that little bit out of practise, it can make the difference between a clean tackle or not.
“I like to get involved, that is a big part of my game and I am encouraged to do that.
“Match fitness can take a while to achieve and ironically, the best I felt was the last game of the season at Ipswich.
“But I am raring to go now, I feel great and if I do things the right way, which I will, I am confident I can have a great season.”