Turner aims to resurrect Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday are poised to appoint their former goalkeeper Chris Turner as their new manager.

After failing to lure Peter Reid, sacked by Sunderland last month, to Hillsborough, Wednesday have turned their attention to the Hartlepool manager to steer the cash-strapped Owls out of the First Division relegation zone. The move comes after the Hartlepool chairman, Ken Hodcroft, "reluctantly allowed" Turner to talk to Wednesday following an official approach yesterday.

"After lengthy discussions with Chris this morning we have reluctantly allowed him to talk to his home town club," Hodcroft said. "He confirmed that any other manager's job his name has been linked to has never been of interest to him as he is very happy at Hartlepool United. However, he has supported Sheffield Wednesday since he was a child and, of course, he also played for the club.

"The move, which is by no means certain, but if confirmed, would be a personal goal achieved by Chris and reward for all his excellent work at Hartlepool."

Turner, who has been in charge at the Victoria Ground since March 1999, made 205 league and cup appearances for Wednesday in two spells between 1976 and 1991. The lifelong Owls fan was between the posts when the club last lifted a trophy 11 years ago, winning the League Cup with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. Since taking over at Hartlepool they have reached the Third Division play-offs in each of the last three seasons, only to fall at the first hurdle every time, losing to Darlington, Blackpool and Cheltenham in the semi-finals.

As an up-and-coming manager, Turner is seen as the ideal candidate for Wednesday and would become the club's seventh full-time appointment in the last five years.

Wednesday have moved swiftly following Terry Yorath's resignation last Thursday. Ronnie Moore, their first target, confirmed he would be staying at Rotherham. Talks were then held with Reid and the former Ipswich manager George Burley, with the latter turning down the post due to the club's debt of £23m.

The West Ham manager, Glenn Roeder, hopes his England midfielder Trevor Sinclair will play against Leeds on Sunday, six days after an operation on a fractured cheekbone. Doctors have made a protective mask for Sinclair and Roeder believes that could be enough for the winger to return at the weekend.

"He has had the operation and come through it successfully", Roeder said. "They have repaired the small fracture that he had on the cheekbone and we will just see how he comes on in the next few days."