Sheffield Wednesday’s promising youngster Bailey Cadamarteri had an impressive breakthrough season and is gearing up for the upcoming campaign.

The talented 19-year-old made a significant impact after manager Danny Röhl’s arrival, scoring five goals and revitalizing the previously struggling front line. Despite his contribution being limited in the second half of the season due to injury and the loan arrival of Ike Ugbo, Cadamarteri continued to progress, representing England at two youth levels and attracting interest from the Jamaica senior squad. He played 26 matches across all competitions in his debut season and is highly regarded at Sheffield Wednesday.

According to The Star, the Yorkshire-born forward was approached by other clubs but committed his future to Wednesday by signing a new three-year contract in December. He recently impressed in a pre-season friendly against Red Bull Salzburg.

“Bailey helped us a lot this season in a very difficult moment,” said Röhl. “He showed his quality and strength. In the second half, it was a bit up and down with some injuries and fewer minutes, but this is normal for a player from the academy. He took big steps forward. Now, it’s about preparing him for the next season. He had a good opportunity against Salzburg where he showed his quality. But he should still improve, and this is important now. We want to help him progress to the next level, which is why we extended his contract last season.”

With the additions of Jamal Lowe and fellow prospect Charlie McNeill, the pursuit of Ike Ugbo, and potential further attacking reinforcements, there are questions about Cadamarteri’s role in the upcoming campaign. When asked about the possibility of the England youth international going out on loan, Röhl, who values the teenager highly, responded thoughtfully. He emphasized the need for different player profiles to build a versatile squad.

“It is a very difficult question at the moment,” Röhl said. “It’s not clear which players will come in or how many players we can get for the centre-forward position. It depends. I want different profiles, not just similar ones. It’s important to have a target player, a speedy player, and a player who can receive the ball in the red zone. These varied profiles allow for flexibility, which we aim to achieve. In the coming weeks, we will see which direction we can go.”