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Eddie Chikamhi
Senior Sports Reporter
IT was a dream come true for 17-year-old Zimbabwean teenager Sean Fusire after he was given his first team debut by English League One football side, Sheffield Wednesday at Highbury.
Fusire featured prominently for his hometown club in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup replay against Fleetwood on Tuesday night.
He played 70 minutes for the English League One log leaders and caught the eye in the right wing-back position, despite the Owls exiting the competition following a disappointing 1-0 away defeat.
“It’s an unbelievable moment. Obviously I have been at Wednesday for a long time now and it’s something I dreamt of ever since I joined the club. They put trust in me and I hope I will repay them,” said Fusire.
A regular for Wednesday’s Under-18s and Under-21s, Fusire predominantly features in midfield but has shown himself to be equally adept on the wide right.
The lightning fast teenager was one of the 10 changes made by manager Darren Moore from the side which beat Plymouth Argyle in a top of the table clash at the weekend, with an eye on Saturday’s crucial trip to close rivals Ipswich.
The 17-year-old joined the Owls youth setup as a nine-year-old and signed his first professional contract with the club in December.
The youngster has been a key member of the Owls’ Under-18s this campaign, helping Andy Holdsworth’s side to the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup against Cambridge, which was scheduled for yesterday.
Fusire has enjoyed first team training under Moore this campaign and was one of the bright prospects in the disappointing defeat to Fleetwood at Highbury.
Asked why now for the teenager, Moore said: “His performances have been excellent and I thought he could step up. The 65 minutes he did show? He can be really, really pleased with his performance,” he told The Star.
“I thought he was tenacious in the tackle, his work on the ball was good and on the ball he brought a calmness, his passes were easy but effective and I was so pleased for Sean.
“He’s been training with us and every time I’ve seen him in training I’ve been impressed,” said Moore.
According to Wednesday’s club website the youngster is eligible to play for England and Zimbabwe. He joined the club at just nine years old and signed professional terms with the club at the start of December 2022.
Speaking after signing his maiden professional contract, Fusire said: “I’ve always said I don’t have a set position, which I see as a bonus, I don’t define myself as one thing. It’s nice to be able to do a lot of different things.
“We’re lucky because we have a manager and first team staff that like to bring young players forward. We’ve been involved in training, some of us have been involved in games and it’s nice to see the first team are looking good this season too.”
His football role models when growing up included Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian workaholic, Marcelo. But his father has guided him every step of the way.
“My dad has pushed football into me ever since I was a young kid.
“Even at the time I wasn’t a big fan of it, he pushed it into me and I dedicate everything I do towards it because every step I have been through he has been there, taking me to games, wherever and all the way to Fleetwood,” said Fusire.
Fusire was born to Zimbabwean parents on May 31, 2005 in Sheffield. He plays in the Sheffield Wednesday development alongside another Zimbabwean midfielder, Tafadzwa Tapudzai, who was born in Bulawayo 18 years ago.
Academy chief Steve Haslam believes Fusire is growing in the right direction.
“Sean has been with us for a long-time and he’s shown good development in the last 18 months since he became a scholar… He was fast-tracked into the Under-21s quite early and he’s shown he’s got further development to come,” said Haslam.
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