 Despite this, Rangers manager Alex McLeish deemed that he was not "a first team prospect" and placed him on the transfer list.On 7 July 2004, MacLean joined Football League One club Sheffield Wednesday for an undisclosed fee, believed to be around £125,000, and signed a three-year deal.He scored 20 goals in his first season, including a hat-trick against fellow South Yorkshire side Doncaster Rovers, Wednesday's first away hat-trick for 32 years.