MOORE BACKS WILKS TO MAINTAIN IMPROVEMENT

DARREN Moore believes Mallik Wilks will continue to improve at Sheffield Wednesday as his fitness grows with the League One side following his protracted move from Hull City.

Wilks’ move to Hillsborough was finally completed in the closing stages of the summer transfer window and since swapping East for South Yorkshire, the 23-year-old has endured a frustrating time.

The striker found opportunities limited in the second half of last season having fallen down the pecking order and that theme continued throughout pre-season and into the new campaign, before he finally sealed his move.

Wilks has since struggled with fitness and injury and has started just two games for the Owls in his 10 appearances, but bagged a goal and assist in his last outing against Burton Albion and then missed the win at Morecambe last weekend.

“A lot of fans were asking where Mallik was but we had to pitch him in at the right time,” Moore told Yorkshire Live. “We have been working incredibly hard with him. You have got to remember when he came from Hull, he hadn’t really played the season before due to injury and he didn’t have a pre-season. He has almost been doing his own pre-season whilst the games have been going on.

“It has been a hard time for him because when players have been finishing (in training), he has been doing extra work. His body mass and weight has come down, which is fantastic. He has been committed and has waited for his opportunity. I thought Burton was the right game to pitch him in. He also had a thigh strain which kept him out for 12 days so we have had to constantly build him up. But he put in a really good performance against Burton.

“For him to have got those match minutes will have done him the world of good. You can see he’s a player who can go past people, he’s very quick and when he gets the other side he’s got real quality.”