Di Canio has lofty ambitions

Di Canio has lofty ambitions

Published Apr. 19, 2013 7:15 a.m. ET

Sheffield Wednesday are looking to fend off interest from a host of clubs who are keen on starlet Ayo Obileye.

The 18-year-old midfielder began his career with Chelsea, but he left the Premier League club when he was 16.

Wednesday moved quickly to snap him up and he has now progressed through the youth ranks at Hillsborough and he has already made his senior debut for the club.

However, Obileye's current youth deal expires this summer and as yet he is yet to sign a professional deal.

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Wednesday are looking to tie him down to a long-term deal - but Sky Sports understand there is big interest from a number of Premier League clubs.

Arsenal, Tottenham, Southampton, Queens Park Rangers, Stoke, Aston Villa and Swansea are amongst the clubs believed to be monitoring Obileye's situation.

The three players' current deals expire on June 30 but the club have triggered 12-month options to keep them on board for next season.

Manager Simon Grayson told North End's official website: "I am delighted we have extended the contracts of Bailey, Will and Jeffrey and I am sure they are delighted as well.

"They have all contributed to the football club over the season. Bailey has been outstanding since we arrived - he and Paul Huntington have formed a really strong relationship and contributed to very few goals conceded.

"Will has been a revelation with his performances and the goals he has scored from the wide areas and Jeffrey has affected the games over the last few weeks.

"They are all young, hungry players, looking to improve and we will give them that guidance and work with them to make them good players."

The centre-half was sent off following an off-the-ball clash with Blades forward Dave Kitson during Tuesday's dramatic 2-2 draw in which team-mate Clayton Donaldson and United's Harry Maguire also saw red.

Bees manager Uwe Rosler was confident the appeal would be successful, saying: "I have seen the DVD. Tony was fouled. Kitson wrestled him down. Tony had his arm up but there was no movement.

"We will definitely appeal and I think we have a good chance, after seeing the footage, that justice will be done."

But the Football Association rejected the appeal and Craig will now be suspended for Brentford's final two matches and the play-off first leg if they are involved.

The Leyton Orient chairman wants his League One club to groundshare with the Hammers, who were confirmed as the stadium's tenants last month.

Hearn revealed Orient would not be moving away from Leyton as a result of West Ham's move onto their doorstep in 2016 - the Olympic Park is about half a mile from their Brisbane Road ground - and instead vowed to "fight from our own back garden".

He made his latest move by offering 1,500 free season tickets to youngsters and students to boost the club's fanbase.

"We are not going to be bullied by the big boys," he said.

"We have enough resources and enough friends on our side to take this fight well into the next decade, if necessary.

"We want a groundshare at the Olympic Park and we think we have an unanswerable case for that being the real legacy of the Olympics."

The 44-year-old announced his arrival in style on Sunday when, in just his second game at the helm, he guided the Black Cats to a 3-0 victory over Newcastle at St James' Park, their first on Tyneside for 13 years.

Fans have been buzzing ever since, and Di Canio, as is so often the case for the central figures in Tyne-Wear triumphs, has been elevated to the red and white pantheon.

However, the Italian is adamant that one victory, or even saving the club from relegation to the Championship, should not afford him that status.

He said: "I don't want to be a hero now. I don't want to be a hero when we stay up, I don't want to be a hero next year.

"It's easy for the fans to call the players, the manager, heroes if they do the right things and an incredible job.

"Maybe one day of we win something, they can call me hero, but it's not the time now, even if we stay up. It's not the time for a single game.

"I understand what it means - I used to do the same as a Lazio fan. We won the derby, [Bruno] Giordano was a striker who scored an incredible goal and he was my hero.

"I know, but it's not enough for me, not even if we stay up. If we stay up, it would be a fantastic step to build a good future.

"One day, in 10 years' time if I became the best manager in this club's history, they can call me hero, otherwise it's not enough, one game, two games, 10 games, 20 games.

"In 10 years' time, they will decide if I can be called hero, even if I don't like anyway this adjective, 'hero'.

"But when I deliver a special, special thing, maybe they can call me hero."

Di Canio's laudable pragmatism reflects the position in which he inherited Sunderland from predecessor Martin O'Neill.

They remained outside the Premier League relegation zone only on goal difference and had not won in nine games as they headed for St James', and the three points with which they returned, priceless as they were, may count for little if they lose to Everton at the Stadium of Light.

That is something they have done 12 times in their last 16 league meetings.

Di Canio said: "I have to be honest, obviously the day after Newcastle, I saw a very good mood. It was fantastic for the players.

"But I was more happy two days later when we started again with a training session together because, to be honest, I saw them really focused and really concentrated on the next match.

"I was worried the day before I met them because I was thinking, 'I don't know them, I haven't known them for many years, so I don't know how they will react'.

"That can be a poison instead of an extra lift, but to be honest, the way they have done things in the last few days has made me very happy because I have seen them really focussed for the next match."

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