Pierce Charles said he is ‘buzzing’ to sign his first professional contract with the Owls.
The young goalkeeper put pen to paper on his maiden deal on Friday and is looking forward to what comes next in his fledgling career.
The 17-year-old told swfc.co.uk: “I’m buzzing to get the deal done!
“There’s more to come, hopefully a full career ahead of me. It’s a motivator to get this deal done, knowing that all the hard work, even from being eight-years-old, has paid off.
“It’s a flash now, but you look back and realise it’s all worth it, all the sacrifices that you and your family make. I couldn’t be more thankful for my family, they’ve been there every second of the way.”
Charles joined Wednesday in July 2021 on an academy scholarship after leaving Manchester City and has shown fast development in his short time in S6, heaping praise on those who have helped him along the way.
He explained: “I feel like I’ve been progressing non-stop and I want that to keep going the same way and see how far I can go.
“With Nicky Weaver, since the first day, there’s been no rest! I know that just because you do well, it doesn’t mean you relax.
“Steven Haslam has been very supportive as well as Adriano Basso in the first team, he’s had me doing double sessions which is really good for my development.”
Charles’ rise has seen him train with the first team on a regular basis, rubbing shoulders with first team goalkeepers David Stockdale and Cameron Dawson, which the youngster has enjoyed.
He added: “They couldn’t be more supportive. They crack jokes all the time and make me feel part of the group, I love working with those two every day with a smile on my face.
“With the gaffer, if I do something good in training he praises me and welcomes me, and he talks me through things and motivates me too.”
The teenager recently joined up with the senior Northern Ireland squad for a training camp, with his first professional contract rounding off a whirlwind few weeks for the former City product.
He added: “Going away with the first team with Northern Ireland filled me with a lot of confidence and it improves how you play.
“With a goalkeeper it can go up and down very quickly, but at the moment it’s just up, but I can’t get ahead of myself as it can go the other way.
“I want to keep going how I am for the rest of the season and hopefully get experience of men’s football in the future.”