Sheffield Wednesday striker Ike Ugbo could now become the first-ever Owls player to achieve this one thing.
Sheffield Wednesday have a new lease of life and a new goal hero in Ugbo.
The man on loan from Troyes has defied expectations so far, scoring six goals in nine Championship outings for Danny Rohl‘s side who are now just six points outside the top half.
A run of four-straight wins and five wins in six has somehow kept Sheffield Wednesday in 23rd. Though the gap to safety is now on goal difference only.
February started with a 4-0 defeat vs Huddersfield Town, but it was followed by a win vs Birmingham City, a loss vs Leicester, then wins against Millwall and Bristol City, with Ugbo scoring five goals.
Ike Ugbo nominated for Championship Player of the Month for February
Sheffield Wednesday announced yesterday that Canadian international Ugbo has been nominated for the February Player of the Month award.
And should the 25-year-old scoop the award, he’ll become the first-ever Sheffield Wednesday player to claim a Championship Player of the Month award.
The first half of this season saw Ugbo playing on loan at Cardiff City where he scored four goals in 20 Championship outings for the Bluebirds.
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But playing under Rohl, with names like Ian Poveda alongside him, and Marvin Johnson and Pol Valentin down the flanks, Ugbo has the service required to start scoring more regularly.
A deserved award for Ugbo after Sheffield Wednesday heroics
It’s certainly been a whirlwind start for Ugbo at Hillsborough.
After netting his first goals for the club in the win over Birmingham City he’s since burst into life, showing his capabilities as a real poacher-type striker inside the box.
Whenever Sheffield Wednesday have the ball inside the box, it only ever looks like it’ll fall to Ugbo, and often when it does, the ball ends up in the back of the net.
But a lot of credit has to go to Rohl for finding a way to best utilise Ugbo’s traits, and then to players like Poveda who’s not scored the goals, but has also had a huge impact since arriving.
Wednesday now all of a sudden have a very dangerous front line with Ugbo and Poveda, and Saturday’s match-winner Djeidi Gassama and then Anthony Musaba who started on the bench vs Plymouth Argyle.
A Championship Player of the Month award seems like the least Ugbo deserves for firing Sheffield Wednesday towards safety in the last few weeks.
Up next for the Owls is a trip to Leeds United on Friday night.