New Sheffield Wednesday manager Steve Bruce has delayed his official start date in the job until February 1 in order to fulfil a long-held desire of watching England play cricket in the Caribbean.

The former Aston Villa manager returns to football at the Yorkshire club having been out of work for the past three months.

And rather than beginning immediately in the post at Hillsborough, Bruce has taken stock of life after losing both parents in 2018 and will head to the Caribbean this month to tick off an entry on his bucket list.

The first of England’s three Tests against the West Indies takes place in Barbados on January 23-27.

“He’s obviously had a difficult year with both his parents passing away and he might need some time for reflection,” Kevin MacDonald, who was Aston Villa’s caretaker manager following Bruce’s departure, said in October.

“He told me he might go and watch some cricket in the Caribbean over the winter he can afford it.”

Bruce is an avid fan of cricket and has already travelled to Dubai to watch England play Pakistan in 2012.