Sheffield Wednesday turn to Stockport County man for sporting director role afer considering Portsmouth's Rich Hughes
Pompey sporting director was under consideration for a similar role at Sheffield Wednesday - but he failed to get the nod from the Owls’ new owners
Sheffield Wednesday are poised to announce Simon Wilson as their new sporting director.
The Owls have turned to the outgoing Stockport County man after considering Pompey’s Rich Hughes for the newly-created Hillsborough role.
Our sister paper, The Star, reported the Blues’ sporting director was under consideration for the position after news first emerged of a potential switch on the day of Pompey’s final game of the season against Birmingham City.
Keen to bring in a figure with knowledge of League One and a track record of promotions, Hughes’ name was discussed.
However, League One Wednesday’s new owners, Arise Capital Partners, have since turned to 43-year-old Wilson to fulfil the role as they continue to make key appointments behind the scenes at S6 following their takeover.
Former Sunderland chief business operator, David Bruce, has already been appointed as the Owls’ chief executive.
At the end of April, Wilson announced he was leaving Edgeley Park, where he had been opertating as the Hatters’ sporting director and CEO in January 2025. The soon-to-be-appointed Owls sporting director has previously worked at Southampton, Manchester City and Ajax.
The News understands that no approach was ever made to Pompey in regards to Hughes.
Hughes’ Pompey career
Hughes has been at Pompey since September 2022, following his switch from Forest Green Rovers.
Under his watch, the Blues have gone from a struggling League One side to establishing themselves in the Championship, where they will continue to play their football in 2026-27 for a third straight season.
He has overseen significant training ground improvements and spearheaded the impressive recruitment drive in the summer of 2023 which formed the backbone to Pompey’s memorable League One title success in April 2024.
In additions, Hughes who identified John Mousinho as an outstanding candidate to become Pompey’s head coach in January 2023, when searching for a replacement for Danny Cowley.
Both Hughes and Mousinho - who has also been linked with a move away from Pompey this summer - signed new Blues contracts in September 2024.
For your next Pompey read: Another Championship club joins Bristol City in race for in-demand Portsmouth boss John Mousinho