Luke Varney holds a rare distinction at Sheffield Wednesday, having featured for the club in three separate loan spells without ever securing a permanent deal. Despite never officially signing for the Owls, he built a solid reputation and a strong rapport with the fans during his time at Hillsborough. However, his legacy at the club remains inextricably tied to the heartbreak of relegation in the 2009/10 season.
| Luke Varney’s three loan spells at Sheffield Wednesday (source: Transfermarkt) | |||
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | |
| 2008/09 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009/10 (in two loan spells) | 39 | 9 | 6 |
Varney first joined Wednesday from Derby County in 2009, and his performances prompted the club to extend his loan twice across two seasons. In total, he made 43 appearances and scored 11 goals. Initially managed by Brian Laws, Varney saw a managerial change during his stay as Alan Irvine took over in a bid to rescue the club from relegation. Unfortunately, the campaign ended in despair as the Owls were demoted from the Championship following a poor run of form.
Though his time at Wednesday featured personal success, Varney’s final stint coincided with one of the darkest chapters in the club’s history. The team managed just one win in their last 12 games and were relegated to League One after a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace on the final day of the season—a match that remains a painful memory for the winger. Speaking on the Under the Cosh podcast, Varney recalled missing a crucial one-on-one chance in that match and described the deep emotional toll it took on him, especially during the following summer.
Despite being only a loan player, Varney formed a genuine bond with the club and its supporters. He spoke candidly about how connected he felt to the team, even recalling how a comment from an opponent—reminding him he was “only on loan”—did little to ease the devastation he felt. That moment of heartbreak has lingered with him, underscoring the depth of his attachment to Wednesday.
Varney’s career later took him to clubs like Leeds United, Portsmouth, and Ipswich Town before he eventually retired in 2021 after returning to non-league football with Quorn, where his journey had begun two decades earlier. Although he was never officially an Owls player, Luke Varney’s passion, performances, and pain during that relegation campaign left a lasting impression—showing he was much more than just a loanee.
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