Why Sheffield Wednesday man was spotted in different Owls role this week

The 30-year-old tough-tackling midfielder is currently recovering from injury after picking up a knock while playing for the Owls last month, and isn’t thought to be too far away from making his Wednesday comeback on the field.

A return to the setup would be a boost for Danny Röhl as the club look to continue their impressive run of form, and Vaulks himself will be eager to get back out there, but he has also been using his time well as he plans for his own future.

The former Rotherham United man was spotted on the sidelines as Wednesday beat Hemel Hempstead in the FA Youth Cup last month and was present once more on Tuesday evening as they were beaten by Reading – it turns out he’s been taking some sessions on the training pitch as well.

“He’s been really good for the players,” U18s manager, Andy Sharp, explained to The Star. “Not so much now, but before Christmas he was doing some training sessions with the boys, particularly with the midfield players. He asked if he could come, he was here in the last round, and he asked about coming again.

“It’s a good experience, and obviously great for the players to have that connection to the first team. It’s fantastic.”

Vaulks is currently in the process of working his way through his coaching badges as he eyes a potential future in that side of the game one day, and he’ll no doubt be learning a different side of things as he looks to develop the skills needed to pivot from playing to coaching.