Source: PA
Simek receives Irvine backing
Alan Irvine has challenged Sheffield Wednesday defender Frank Simek to rediscover the form that had alerted Premier League scouts before a string of injuries hindered his progress.
American full-back Simek earned rave reviews when he burst into the first team under former Owls boss Paul Sturrock five years ago, but has failed to return to the same heights since rupturing ankle ligaments in December 2007.
Manager Irvine, set to hand Simek a first-team recall due to Lewis Buxton's hamstring injury, said: "Frank has got a very strong chance to stake his claim in the team now. When players get in the team it's up to them to grab that chance.
"He has had a lot of injuries and that's a real shame because it was not that long ago that people were watching Frank from the Premier League and thinking about him as a player who would make that step.
"There's no question that he's a good player, it's just about how ready he is to step up to the first team, but he's a very good professional and I expect he will be able to come in and do very well."
