Sheffield Wednesday: Cult hero Lee is loving life under Owls chief

He wrote his name into Wednesday folklore by captaining the side to League One play-off glory in the Welsh capital 11 years ago.
Lee Bullen, left, and Carlos CarvalhalLee Bullen, left, and Carlos Carvalhal
Lee Bullen, left, and Carlos Carvalhal

And now Lee Bullen is enjoying being one of Carlos Carvalhal’s most trusted lieutenants at Hillsborough.

Almost four months have passed since the popular Scot was officially promoted to the first-team coaching staff on a permanent basis.

Bullen, who racked up 137 league appearances for the club between 2004 and 2008, rejoined Wednesday as a youth coach four years ago. He worked closely with their development squad before making the step up.

“It has been an education under Carlos,” Bullen told The Star. “It has been a great learning curve and I’m enjoying being part of it.

“Stuart Gray was fantastic to work with last year and Carlos has been great with me too.

“To be able to be involved in a group of players and a squad like this is a fantastic education for me.”

Four out of the Championship’s top five dropped points last weekend, meaning Wednesday now trail leaders Hull City by just six points.

Bullen believes Carvalhal’s side will be there or thereabouts if they can stay clear of injuries and suspensions.

“The key is keeping players fit and avoiding suspensions,” said Bullen, who played 137 league matches for the club between 2004 and 2008. “If we can do that, we won’t be far away.

“We will have a blip here and there but the consistency in the group since the transfer window closed in August has been top-six material.

“But we know this league can comeback and bite you on the backside. Our feet are firmly planted and we are looking forward to Brentford.

“We are only looking at the team who are above us in the league at the moment.”

Aiden McGeady showed glimpses of his undoubted quality in Saturday’s away success at Birmingham City. The winger, on loan from Everton until the end of the season, was handed his full debut and looked bright early on before fading after the break.

Bullen is convinced the Republic of Ireland international will be a big asset in the coming months.

“We had been working all week on getting Aiden one v one with the full-back because he can kill players with his quality,” he said. “But Birmingham had spotted that and worked on it. They knew we had quality on both sides and they doubled up on Aiden and Ross [Wallace]. Jacques Maghoma and Will Buckley did great jobs on the defensive side for them.

“You could see Aiden is not fully match fit yet but his quality was there for all to see.

“Aiden is a phenomenal player and a fantastic signing. He brings another bit of quality to the group and there’s a lot more to come from him.”