Cardiff City exit shock in inside line on new Sheffield Wednesday transfer guru 'who worked wonders'

Kevin Beadell was confirmed as the new Owls head of recruitment on Wednesday, ending a search for the replacement for David Downes. Beadell has worked with some of the biggest names in management in his career and most recently worked as the top dog in Cardiff's recruitment machine before leaving South Wales in the summer.

We spoke to WalesLive Cardiff City reporter Glen Williams to get a better idea of the job he did there and a little of what to expect at S6 from a man who 'worked wonders' on a tight budget.

Beadell is a name new to most Wednesday fans. What can you tell us about him?

He has vast experience within the game and recruiting in general. He worked under Fergie at United and Wenger at Arsenal. It was seen as a real coup when Cardiff managed to get him and he was central to the work they did in altering the squad's dynamic when he was here.

How come he left Cardiff in the summer?

It was a real surprise to me, I've got to be honest. I ever only heard positive things about him and his work, so it was odd to see them go in a new direction. Sometimes, with a change of manager, new ideas and new approaches are needed and that appears to have been the case this summer.

What sort of markets did he tend to operate in during his time with Cardiff? Did he have much to work with?

I would really like to have seen what he did with a good budget, because he worked on a shoestring while he was here. He largely operated within the free and loan markets, with money thin on the ground as Vincent Tan tried to drive down the club's wage bill. In my opinion, he worked wonders given his remit.

Given the situation Wednesday find themselves in, they should have faith in Kevin, because Cardiff found themselves in almost the exact same position 12 months ago (and 24 months ago!). If he can get three or four quality loans in from the top flight or top end of the Championship, it will be a massive help.

What are his biggest success stories - and which will he not remember so fondly?

A number of successes stand out in my mind and they are all in the loan market. Kevin has connections all over the Premier League and he can spot an up-and-coming talent. You look at Jaden Philogene tearing it up at Hull, he was an unreal loan signing for Cardiff last year. Others like Tommy Doyle and Cody Drameh were top acquisitions. He led the recruitment of Sory Kaba, who almost single-handedly saved Cardiff's season last year.

Misses, there were a few, but he was asked to overhaul an entire playing squad without paying a penny, practically, and there had to be a few gambles. It was a near-impossible task and certainly no one holds him accountable for that. All in all, he did a marvellous job.