A successful former Sheffield Wednesday player acknowledged that he had to turn down the opportunity to continue playing for the team in order to further his career.
With a 1-0 victory over fellow League One promotion contenders Bolton Wanderers over the weekend, custodian Joe Wildsmith pulled off a remarkable performance that moved Derby County into second place and gave them a four-point lead over the Trotters.
In addition, it became Wildsmith’s 90th Derby appearance, surpassing the record of 89 he had collected over seven seasons before. During his time at Hillsborough, the Owls academy graduate faced competition from several other keepers, including Kieran Westwood and Cameron Dawson. He also rotated between positions one, two, and three in his final season with the team.
In 2022, he declined a new contract offer from S6 in order to join Derby. Despite filling in for Josh Wickers for six games earlier in the season, he has secured the top job at Pride Park.
In terms of my career, it’s the finest thing I have to do. My goal when I got here was to play as many games as I could,” he remarked. “To have played more times for Derby than I did at Sheffield Wednesday in just under two full seasons is something I am proud of.
With many elegant stops, Wildsmith helped the Rams defeat Bolton on Saturday. Paul Warne, the manager of Derby, commended his custodian for a performance that changed the nature of the third-tier promotion fight.
Following the last whistle, Warne stated, “Joe pulled us out.” “After the game, we gave him our congratulations, which is unusual—managers applauding goalkeepers. He made two incredible saves: the header in the first half from Bodvarsson. I simply assumed the cross would strike the net as soon as it came in. I’m incredibly happy with the team performance that Joe was a part of.
“I’m 26 and had been at Sheffield Wednesday since I was 12 years old and you are going into a place where you have gone into work that long with the same four walls,” Wildsmith remarked in reference to his departure from Wednesday shortly after departing.
“I just thought that I needed a new challenge, and joining Derby gives me that. One of the reasons I signed up was because I thought this place had a tonne of opportunities. I’m taking on a new task and stepping outside of my comfort zone, and I feel like I can flourish in this new environment and go forward.
My career has been uneven thus far, and that is because of various circumstances—such as injuries or new managers—that have arisen. Everyone has various ideas, and that’s the path I’ve taken. I try to learn as much as I can from my experiences, and hopefully it will inspire me to want to improve and establish myself as the best goalie.
