CALLUM Paterson describes himself as an avid angler and even has a YouTube channel devoted to the art of fishing.
“It helps me massively,” says Sheffield Wednesday’s roving utility man. “Peace and quiet. The smell of fresh air. That’s how I clear my head.”
Not that the punishing schedule of Owls boss Danny Rohl leaves much time for loitering on the banks of the Don.
Since replacing Xisco Munoz in October, the German has transformed a shot-shy shambles into an aggressive pressing unit that now stands a fighting chance of staying in the Championship.
“He came in on the first day, put his foot down and said ‘This is what I want’,” recalls Paterson, who has just returned to action after suffering a knee injury against Coventry on Boxing Day that eventually required surgery.
“It was ‘I want A,B,C, I want X,Y, Z’ and there were no blurred lines. No going off the path. He knows what he wants and he’s got all of us believing in it. His coaches are on exactly the same page.
“It’s a lot more tactical than under the previous manager. A lot longer training sessions and certainly a lot more information on the video and things like that. Less time off !
“Wednesday gone was the first day off we’ve had in a long time, but nobody’s complaining. We should be in. That’s what we’re paid for. We’re all working hard to retain our spot in this division and we’re absolutely confident that we can.”
Wednesday’s resurgence is made all the more impressive by the fact that Rohl, right, is only 34 and had not held a managerial role before his arrival at Hillsborough.
He had, however, coached under Ralph Hasenhuttl at Southampton and worked as an assistant to Hansi Flick with Bayern Munich and the German national side.
“People talk about his age but we’re talking about someone who has worked with some of the best managers in the world,” says Scotland international Paterson, who started his career with Hearts before joining Cardiff in 2017 and winning promotion to the Premier League under Neil Warnock in his first season.
Ideas
“He’s brought ideas from different people, things he’s learned from world-class ers and he’s putting that all play- across in his own way.
