GOING FOR GLORY
Sheffield Wednesday’s David Jones sets his sights on another promotion
NEIL Warnock may be chasing a landmark eighth promotion with Cardiff but up the road in Sheffield another player is eyeing a record of his own.
Owls midfielder David Jones was 22 when he first won promotion to the Premier League with Derby County in 2007.
Since then he has repeated the trick three times, first with Wolves and twice as the heartbeat of Burnley’s engine room under Sean Dyche.
Now, after defeat to Huddersfield in last year’s play-off semis, the 32-year-old is aiming to equal the record of five set by striker Kevin Phillips.
“I wasn’t actually aware of the record,” admits the mild-mannered midfielder, who joined Wednesday from Burnley at the start of last season.
“But yeah, it would be nice. For the team as much as anything. Losing last year hurt and we all want to put that right.”
Secret
So what’s the secret to promotion? “There isn’t one,” he insists. “There are many different ways to be successful. It’s not like you can just copy everything Burnley or Derby did and get the same results. It depends on the players, the manager.
“One thing you do need, though, is decent characters. Every team has a spell when things aren’t going well, when things aren’t flowing, when you aren’t getting the easy wins.
“In this division, you could easily lose three times in a week, start to panic. The good teams ride those blips, churn out the victories. And that’s down to having people in the dressing room who don’t get too emotional.”
Owls fans would probably argue that Wednesday have been suffering one of those “blips” for the past 12 months. Five points from four matches has done little to quell unrest, but Jones has urged them to keep the faith.
“In terms of points on the board, we’d obviously like more,” he admits. “But performances have been getting better.
“Now it’s about turning draws into wins. Being more clinical. Having that experience to see things out. We’ve added players who possess that and I can only see us improving.”
Dyche was loath to lose Jones, hailing his “fantastic” attitude, maturity and assurance in the centre of the park. The feeling is mutual, with Jones lauding his former boss.
“On the football side, Sean makes life easy for players on the pitch,” he explains. “Everybody knows their job, which is exactly what players want.
“He also made the club feel really professional. On the day I walked in, we hadn’t played in the Premier League and we didn’t have the facilities they have today. But it still felt top end.
“Everybody knows where they stand. There’s a certain level of discipline. Although we’re adults, it’s important to have rules and know where the line is drawn. Sean’s standards are very clear and every player who walks through the door knows they have to conform to the way the club is run. It quickly weeded out any bad characters.
“Carlos Carvalhal is different – in his manner, in his style of football. That’s good though. It means you’ve got something new to learn.
Experience
“I believe in the way that I play. I’ve got a lot of experience and it’s got me a lot of success. But I want to keep edging the boundaries and the manager here does that.”
And after a decade of success, ‘adapt or die’ has become Jones’ mantra.
“The Championship has changed, there’s no doubt about that,” says the former Manchester United trainee. “I remember when I first started here with Preston, it was really physical and brutal. Less freeflowing, passing football.
“It still is to an extent, but it’s a lot more technical and tactical. Players are constantly getting quicker, stronger, technically better. If I want to keep playing, so do I.”