The Swansea City and Wales player got a rare chance in the first team on Tuesday late on in the 4-1 victory over Preston at the Liberty but it is a lack of game time that concerns his agent.
The Swans turned down a bid from Sheffield Wednesday to take OTJ on loan earlier on in the transfer window – a decision that the agent told the Evening Post was the correct one although he hopes it does not turn into a missed opportunity.
OTJ’s agent sent a statement to the paper which said “Owain is a Swansea player and he loves the club
“He respects Roberto’s decision completely.
“It is frustrating because he wants to do it at Swansea. But when you’re not playing and there is a chance to play for a big club like Wednesday, you do have to think about things.
“Wednesday needed a leader in the middle of the park because they have some injuries and Owain needed to play, it was a perfect match and would only have been for a few weeks. After that, everybody could reflect.
“Owain is 24 and he has lost two years through injury
“He has got some catching up to do, both financially and in terms of game time, and is champing at the bit.
“Playing occasionally, no matter how much you love the club, is not an option for someone in his position.
“Being pulled in to the team occasionally and being asked to deliver is tremendously difficult as you never really get an opportunity to get in to your stride.
“However, it’s a results business and patience with players in the first team is a luxury managers can’t afford. “Owain knows he can do better in a Swans shirt but he needs confidence and game time. It’s nobody’s fault that he isn’t in the team — the other midfielders have been very good.
“He needs a run of games to get his rhythm back. Some would argue that guaranteed game time (at Wednesday) would have been perfect for Swansea, who would have got a better player back.
“I just hope that he really gets the chance to show what he can do at Swansea and we don’t see this as a missed opportunity in years to come.
“There are lesser players than Owain getting games week in, week out in the Championship and earning a lot more than him because of it.
“At 24, he has to do what’s best for him — the next year is hugely important for Owain’s career progression.
“If he’s sitting in the stands at 25 then that would be a huge waste of talent for Welsh football. I believe that Owain has the talent to play Premier League football — hopefully that will be with Swansea.”
