Sheffield Wednesday have some big decisions to make that will ultimately shape the rest of their campaign and the foreseeable future, as the Owls weigh up their options.

Sheffield Wednesday, following their relegation from the Championship last season, are looking to bounce back to the second tier at the first time of asking.

Danish boss Henrik Pedersen was entrusted with guiding the club into a new era despite overseeing the Owls' relegation, and completed the additions of the likes of Callum Slattery, Barry Bannan, Ricardo Santos, Billy Mitchell, and Jordi Liongola.

With five wins, three draws, and three defeats in their opening 11 League One games, the time has come for a big decision to be made.

Sheffield Wednesday have parted ways with Henrik Pedersen

Sheffield Wednesday have decided to part company with Danish boss Pedersen after just 11 league games, with back-to-back away defeats to Notts County and Doncaster Rovers bringing his time at Hillsborough to a disappointing close.

The Owls have decided to bite the bullet now instead of risking the situation detereorating further, as now, the hunt for a replacement is underway.

Each candidate must convince the Wednesday board that they are the correct person to guide the South Yorkshire outfit back to the Championship at the first time of asking, as three interesting names have emerged as the frontrunners.

Dean Holden has emerged as a candidate for the vacant Sheffield Wednesday job after Henrik Pedersen's dismissal

According to GiveMeSport, David Challinor, Paul Heckingbottom, and Dean Holden are all targets by Wednesday to replace the outgoing Pedersen, as each candidate will be considered carefully.

Holden, 47, is currently working as an assistant manager to Sergej Jakirovic at Hull City, having played a crucial role in the Tigers' promotion to the Premier League last season, and has had an interesting journey to date.

The former defender, who spent the bulk of his career playing in the third and fourth tier of English football, began his managerial journey with Oldham Athletic before spells with Walsall, Bristol City, Stoke City, Charlton Athletic, Al-Ettifaq, Adana Demirspor, and now Hull.

Holden has only been in the hot seat with Bristol City and Charlton Athletic, as aside from those two spells, he has more often than not been a part of backroom staff wherever he has been, including under Steven Gerrard during their time together in Saudi Arabia.

Dean Holden reveals the thing that surprised him working with Steven Gerrard

After leaving Charlton in August 2023, Holden jetted off to Saudi Arabia in February 2024 to link up with Steven Gerrard's coaching staff at Al-Ettifaq, snapping up the opportunity to work under the Liverpool legend and former Rangers and Aston Villa boss.

Having previously worked under Lee Johnson and Michael O'Neill, Holden transferred what he had learnt under his previous bosses with Gerrard, but very quickly realised exactly why the ex-England midfielder had been so successful throughout his career.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Holden revealed he was not used to the standards set by Gerrard, saying: "If a meeting is at 4pm, you should be there at ten to.

"I have never seen that drive before anywhere. It surprised me. His standards are the big thing that rubbed off on me."

Since his nine months with Gerrard, Holden has since become the right-hand man to Jakirovic in the Premier League with Hull, as now, he could be ready to take the top job elsewhere with this experience, as Wednesday lingers.

Do you think Dean Holden would be a good appointment for Sheffield Wednesday? Who do you think the club should appoint? Share your thoughts below!

Dean Holden could be an excellent appointment for Sheffield Wednesday

Although Holden has yet to find success in the top job anywhere in his career just yet, there is no reason to believe that it isn't a matter of time before he does.

Whether dropping from the Premier League to League One is something that would entice him remains to be seen, though the opportunity of managing a club the size of Wednesday may prove too great to turn down.

Holden is an excellent head coach in waiting, as the Owls weigh up whether to provide him with the opportunity to prove his worth in the hotseat.