One young Sheffield Wednesday player took his chance well when given a starting spot against Cambridge United.

The Owls started life without Henrik Pedersen with a tricky home tie against the U’s. In a well-contested game, Sheffield Wednesday came away with a 1-1 draw, leaving them six points off top of the table Huddersfield Town and two points off Reading in sixth.

There weren’t many surprises in Matt Hamshaw’s first 11 as temporary boss, other than a start for much-loved centre-half, Ernie Weaver. The defender came in for Liam Cooper, who likely needed a rest after playing lots of games close together.

The decision to play Weaver was welcome by many fans. Many had been crying out for him to be given a chance, with a few of the more senior players sustaining injuries.

Just a week ago it was expected Weaver would leave the club on loan. However, an injury to Di’Shon Bernard put that move on hold, and on Tuesday night he got his first start in League One.

Assured Performance by Ernie Weaver

The 20-year-old played 89 minutes in the game, picking up the Sofascore Man of the Match for his 8.9 performance. It’s a display that has left some Wednesday fans pondering why he hasn’t played more minutes, given the injuries at centre half and poor performance of others.

The Wednesday academy graduate recorded some impressive defensive statistics in the game. He ended the game with 19 defensive contributions, including 15 clearances, one interception, and three blocked shots. Weaver also made seven recoveries and three clearances off the line in the game against Cambridge.

Despite his young age, he didn’t look put off coming up against experienced attackers. Weaver won five of his seven aerial duels, as he showed dominance in the air for the Owls.

He looked assured with the ball at his feet as well. Weaver had 100 touches for Wednesday, making 33 carries in total. He also had a pass accuracy of 79%, completing 60 out of 76 passes and had two key passes in the game.

What Next for Weaver at Sheffield Wednesday?

It’s been a rollercoaster of a week for Weaver. From almost joining a National League club on loan to being the Man of the Match in a League One game.

The question for whoever the new Wednesday manager ends up being is: should Weaver stay and play or go out on loan?

He showed in the game last night that he has the ability to play and start at the back. Weaver will likely only benefit from playing alongside an experienced centre half such as Liam Cooper or Ricardo Santos.

The only concern is when the other senior centre backs are fit, where does Weaver fit in? He’s got great potential, but he will likely be behind Cooper, Santos, Bernard, and Sil Swinkels in the pecking order.

A loan could be beneficial for him, but with the others all struggling with injury knocks, it might be best to keep Weaver around the first team for this season at least.