'Ruined my career' - Lewis McGugan opens up on his Sheffield Wednesday nightmare

Lewis McGugan has claimed his three-year spell at Sheffield Wednesday "ruined his career". The former Nottingham Forest midfielder initially moved on loan to Hillsborough in 2014 when Stuart Gray was in charge.

His eye-catching performances in midfield prompted the Owls to splash out £300,000 to bring him in on a permanent basis from Watford. But McGugan found himself frozen out under Carlos Carvalhal. He was forced to train with the Under-23s and eventually left the club by mutual consent in August 2017.

McGugan scored nine goals in 39 Wednesday appearances. After leaving S6, McGugan headed to Northampton Town a month later and racked up 14 Cobblers appearances before departing the club in January 2018.

Northampton proved to be the last professional club McGugan played for as he called time on his playing career at the age of 29. Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, he said: "There's so many elements to it. Is there stuff I could have done better? Could I have made different decisions? One hundred percent. There's also stuff I had to go through. My time at Sheffield Wednesday ruined my career.

"I was in the wilderness. There was nothing I could do. That period changed my career. There was a gap where everyone was thinking what happened? Some of the stuff took it's toll on me. I went through such a bad period I didn't realise at the time what it was doing to me mentally. Growing up and being in football, it was different then. You show weakness and there's no place for it.

"You create a shield and it's sad for me. When I got away from the club (Wednesday) I wasn't the same person or player. When you go to the other clubs they all ask about that gap in playing for over a year. I understand that but people just make