Opinion: Sheffield Wednesday must consider extending this man’s stay after recent displays

Following a relatively inconsistent start to the season, Sheffield Wednesday have managed to step up their performance levels in recent times.

Since suffering a 1-0 defeat to Shrewsbury Town in January, the Owls have won nine of their last 12 league games.

This upturn in form has coincided with Massimo Luongo’s return to action as the midfielder has featured in all but one of these aforementioned fixtures.

After missing a considerable chunk of action due to injury, the midfielder has recently produced a host of impressive displays for the Owls in League One.

As well as providing three assists for his team-mates at this level, Luongo has been extremely effective in a defensive sense.

The former Queens Park Rangers man has made 3.4 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game whilst he also won 2.8 aerial duels per match (as per WhoScored).

By maintaining his fitness during the remainder of the campaign, Luongo could play a major role in the Owls’ push for promotion via the play-offs as he is currently averaging a club-high WhoScored match rating of 7.27 in the third-tier.

Despite the fact that Luongo clearly possesses the ability to dictate a game at this level, Wednesday have yet to make a decision regarding his long-term future.

Considering that Luongo’s contract is set to expire in May, the Owls simply have to be looking into the possibility of extending his stay at Hillsborough.

Regardless of what division his side are in next season, Luongo could prove to be a valuable asset for Wednesday boss Darren Moore who has managed to get the best out of the midfielder since the turn of the year.

During his career to date, the Australian has shown that he is capable of competing in the Championship as he has provided 29 direct goal