Punches, snooker and an eye in the sky: Mystery man Mike Trusson 'massive asset' to Sheffield Wednesday, says Sheffield United icon

The Sheffield Wednesday assistant boss, a surprise appointment by Tony Pulis just a few days after the Welshman’s arrival at Hillsborough, is more likely to be found up in the stands.

There, the 61-year-old acts as Pulis ‘man in the sky’. Watching on with a full view of the field, Trusson communicates with the bench – most often first team coach Craig Gardner – almost constantly, passing on information that may otherwise be obstructed at pitch level.

Well out of view of curious eyes and surrounded by scraps of paper loaded with set piece plans and notes on opposition players, he and a smattering of Wednesday analysis staff call down with reminders; who should be marking who and so on.

Occasionally, the former Celtic scout is called into more urgent action. The switch in formation of Swansea City after half-time in their 1-1 draw last month saw Trusson run down to the technical area to have a more direct impact on the conversation. Changes were quickly made. He’s clearly somebody Pulis trusts.

But he remains something of a mystery. An accomplished player, Trusson spent the prime years of his career in South Yorkshire at Rotherham United and before that – whisper it quietly – as a twice player of the season at Sheffield United.

A committed and versatile attacking midfielder whose eye for goal meant he could also be used up front, he was a popular figure at each of his former clubs and despite a relatively low public profile, has friends across football today.

Post-retirement dalliances in marketing – pushing both soccer-themed restaurants and snooker among other things – point towards a warm character and an ability to get on with people that former acquaintances remember well.

“He’s a great lad,” said Keith Edwards, a former teammate of Trusson’s at Bramall Lane who now works as a co-commentator covering Blades matches for Radio Sheffield.

“I was slightly surprised to see him get the job at Wednesday, but it was completely understandable. He’s a clever bloke, knows his football and has stayed in the game all this time, which is to his credit.

“His experience of scouting, coaching and having played in several different positions makes him a massive asset to any football club, I’d say.

“But he’s an asset anyway, he was such a likeable character in the dressing room.”

He seems to be very well liked at Middlewood Road, too. Trusson is understood to be a very hands-on coach that has quickly grown a strong rapport with Wednesday players.

Earlier this month top scorer Josh Windass spoke about the fact that it was the second-in-command, not Pulis, that had been most influential in his season so far.

“It’s the assistant manager who has spoken to me a lot,” Windass said.

“He was a striker and he gives me a lot of advice on stretching the defence and making certain movements when we have got the ball.”

And he could play a bit himself, remembers Edwards. A powerful runner with an eye-catching streak of bright blonde hair, he was a mainstay in the Blades’ Ian Porterfield sides that achieved promotion out of Division Three, winning the club’s player of the year awards in 1982 and 1983.

Edwards, a record-breaking goalscorer at the Lane, said: “I had a great understanding with him. He was a great team man, good for the dressing room and could play in a lot of positions. Every now and then he got himself up front with me and he worked his heart out.

“He looked after you as a player, he could be a tough lad. We played Altrincham one week and he got sent off for whacking someone that had done me a previous week. He was handy.

“And he was such a good character to have in the team.”

It had been almost two decades since Trusson was at the coalface of first team coaching when he was called in by Pulis, having worked ‘upstairs’ in scouting and recruitment for the Welshman at a handful of his former clubs.

Pulis has admitted that he would have liked to bring a handful of his former lieutenants with him to the club but for several reasons his current right-hand man is the only one through the door, though Sam Ellis is doing some scouting for the Owls.

Gardner, a former player of Pulis’ at West Brom, is cutting his teeth a touch you feel. He wants more coaches in, but it is elder statesman Trusson that will remain the Wednesday boss’ eye in the sky.

Despite those extra-industry dalliances, football and football coaching was something that Edwards believes his old mate was always set out for and that it was a future he noticed was being built towards at an early age.

“He was always keen to get into that [coaching], he always wanted to lend a hand to the coaches,” remembered the former Blades forward.

“Some players would get off as quickly as they could to their families or whatever they were doing with their time. He wasn’t like that, he bought into the club thing. Some players were always around the place and he was like that, very understanding and willing to help out.

“I had massive fall-outs with the odd person, you know how it is, but I never saw Truss like that. He was always so calm and understanding of other people’s opinion. That’s how and why he’s stayed in the game throughout all this time. That either comes naturally to you or it doesn’t.

“I remember he always had a way of talking to people, whether that’s players or fans or board members or coaches. That’s stuck with him today. He’s an asset to Wednesday.”

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