HUNGRY PUDIL’S EAGER TO KEEP PLAYING
DANIEL PUDIL admits his Sheffield Wednesday season has been a rollercoaster experience, but he’s now determined to make sure it finishes with more ups than downs.
The 31-year-old starred in his loan spell last season but has struggled to hit the same heights since making Hillsborough his permanent home.
The inconsistency has become a point of frustration for the Czech defender, too, with disappointing form leading to just four league games in the first three months of 2017.
But, with a match-winning strike against QPR on Easter Monday behind him, Pudil feels that corner may have been turned.
“I’ve had some good games and then haven’t played so well in one or two,” he said.
“I have not played a lot over six to eight weeks, but that was the decision of the manager and I had to accept that.
“In those weeks, I just tried to do my best, get back into shape and wait for another chance.
“The chance came against Newcastle (Wednesday won 2-1) and I’m just doing my best to try to be on the pitch as long as possible.”
Three Championship play-off matches and a Euro 2016 appearance with the Czech Republic ensured last season was a long one for Pudil.
Playing right through until June gave him limited rest and he feels it had an impact on his start to the season.
But the defender is keen not to make excuses, preferring to make sure he ends this campaign better than the last.
He added: “I rejoined the team just before the start of the season so I didn’t have a proper pre-season. Maybe these things affected my performances.
“But that’s football and I just carried on supporting the guys in those weeks I didn’t play.”