The former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder gained a lot of respect from Danny Rohl before moving to Championship rivals.

Sheffield Wednesday’s retained list prior to the summer transfer window showed that Danny Rohl was looking to keep many of the old faces around after their triumphant end to the 2023/24 Championship season, which saw the Owls stay up by three points after three successive victories.

Popular Sheffield Wednesday duo Barry Bannan and Liam Palmer both accepted new contracts to keep them at the club for the season, following Rohl who also committed his future to the club.

Weeks later, Sheffield Wednesday managed to also tie down the future of attacker Josh Windass, who was generating interest from Championship rivals West Brom.

Whilst no decision has been confirmed on defender Di’Shon Bernard, one that is confirmed to have already left the club following the end of his contract is a midfielder that has been praised by Rohl following his departure.

Danny Rohl praises Will Vaulks after Sheffield Wednesday exit

The Sheffield Wednesday manager was full of praise for midfielder Will Vaulks following his exit to Oxford United.

Rohl observed the effort levels from the midfielder in a ‘personal message and said a big, big thank you’, with the manager admitting that he had ‘never seen a player with no contract into the summer have so much energy until the end’, per the Star.

The 30-year-old played every minute of the last four matches of the season which saw Sheffield Wednesday pick up 10 points, with Rohl praising the midfielder’s ‘great’ performances.

Rohl then ‘spoke honestly’ with Vaulks, saying that: “This is football, we move on.

“What is important is that we can look each other in the eyes, we are honest and this is what I try to give my players, honest feedback on where they are.”

Will Vaulks, a great servant to Sheffield Wednesday in a short space of time

The midfielder spent just two seasons at Hillsborough, however was absolutely integral to the successes of both campaigns.

He was without a doubt the unsung hero of the last two years, tallying 77 league appearances and successfully tightening up the midfield when Sheffield Wednesday were under the cosh.

Vaulks’ game time was severely limited under the short and brief spell under Xisco Munoz, which showed how important he was to the side, as results became more positive after he was reinstated in the side.

His experience at this level will be sorely missed, particularly with him venturing to a Championship rival in Oxford United.

Rohl’s praise for the midfielder is by no means unwarranted and he will be very aware that it will be difficult to replace a servant like Vaulks, something that Sheffield Wednesday must prioritise at this moment in the transfer window before they get underway in the 2024/25 Championship campaign.