Sheffield Wednesday thought they made a wise acquisition when they signed Champions League veteran Urby Emanuelson in 2016.
The then-Dutch international was joining a team that was buzzing after finishing in the play-offs the previous season under Carlos Carvalhal.
During the season Emanuelson joined the Owls, they continued to enjoy contending at the top of the table, but their huge transfer arrival didn’t help. Under Carvalhal, they finished fourth but failed to qualify for the Premier League.
Emanuelson began his professional career at Ajax, rising through the ranks of their youth system. He made his first-team debut for Ajax in 2005 and quickly established himself over a seven-year period he made 255 appearances, scoring 22 goals whilst getting 29 assists.
His impressive versatility meant he could play in multiple positions such as left-back, left midfielder, or central midfielder.
During his time in Holland, Emanuelson was a key part of the squad that clinched multiple pieces of silverware, but the only time they went on to win a league title he made his big move to Italy, joining AC Milan in January 2011.
His time at Milan saw him carry on his fine form and success of that season as he became an important part of the side that won the 2010/11 title so he won two league titles in one campaign.
Overall, he spent three years at the Italian side, but before he left permanently, he gained some experience in England as he had a loan spell at Fulham. In the 2013/14 season, he spent half of the year at Milan before leaving for Craven Cottage in January, and he played 13 league games for them on the right, left and in the middle of midfield.
Even though he had a poor spell at Roma it was clear to see that, when he joined Wednesday, he certainly still had the quality.
He signed after being released by Hellas Verona, and bringing him into the Championship for free following his achievements over the previous ten years satisfied supporters.
However, his tenure at the club was cut short due to a series of fitness issues.
As a result, he only made his debut for the club in the penultimate game of the season against Fulham and did not play in the play-off semi-finals against Huddersfield Town.
Emanuelson’s contract was not renewed, and he returned to Holland to join Utrecht. After his disastrous time in the Championship, he returned to football for five years, appearing in 96 games until retiring in 2022.
Sheffield Wednesday will be remembered of one the blips on what is a rather impressive CV, which is a shame for him and the club that we have to dub it as disaster.
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