Sheffield Wednesday have sacked head coach Henrik Pedersen after less than 15 months in charge following two League One defeats in five days.

Pedersen’s final match was a 2-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers in a South Yorkshire derby on Saturday, when fans called for the 48-year-old to leave after seeing their side concede twice inside the first 17 minutes. 

Matt Hamshaw, who was sacked by Rotherham United after less than a year in charge last season before becoming a coach at Wednesday in August, has taken over on an interim basis and will oversee the visit of sixth-placed Cambridge United on Tuesday.

Hamshaw, who made 88 appearances for Wednesday as a player, returned to Hillsborough in August to replace Craig Mudd, who had departed for Manchester City.

Sporting Director Simon Wilson said: “First and foremost, I want to thank Henrik for his professionalism, commitment and contribution during an exceptionally challenging period for Sheffield Wednesday.

“We knew the start of this season would be difficult due to the scale of change across the club, but our expectation was always that we would develop as the season progressed, establishing a recognisable style of play and greater consistency in our performances.

“Although we have accumulated points, we haven’t seen enough progress in those areas. We believe making a change now gives us the best opportunity to establish those foundations and build towards the second half of the season and beyond.

“We remain ambitious about what we can achieve this campaign, and our focus remains on building a Sheffield Wednesday team with a clear identity, capable of delivering sustained improvement and long-term success.”