Alex Bruce defended father Steve after BBC pundits Danny Murphy and Ruud Gullit questioned the decision to delay taking over as manager of Sheffield Wednesday.

Steve Bruce was confirmed as the club's new manager at the start of January but on the condition that he would not take up the role until February 1.

Having had to deal with the loss of both his mother and father last year, Steve chose to take his wife, Janet, to the Caribbean as a thank you for the support she gave him in what was a tough period of his life. While out there Steve watched England's Test match against the West Indies in Barbados.

Murphy and Gullit called Steve's decision into question on the BBC's coverage of Wednesday's FA Cup defeat to Chelsea on Sunday.

"I think the big problem is he's making a rod for his own back," said Murphy.

Bruce watched England take on West Indies in Barbados credit: popperfoto

"He managed (Wednesday's fierce rivals) Sheffield United and now he said he would take this job.

"The club have to take some blame for allowing him to say 'I'll take it but not until then'.

"They facilitated that which is wrong. If he starts poorly do you think the Sheffield Wednesday fans are not going to bring this up?

"You're sunning yourself watching the cricket for whatever reason. It's not something any manager I've played under would have done."

Meanwhile, Gullit questioned whether Steve "would have done the same... if it was Manchester United?"

Steve's son Alex, who currently plays for Wigan, responded on Twitter, saying "Maybe if Ruud and Danny had been managing since 1998, lost a father, a mother, a job, had health issues of his own to to cope with all in the space of around six months they and others would understand why he needed a short break from football."

Alex Scott, who was also working as a pundit for the game, had defended Bruce by saying "I'm just thinking about the year he's had off the field" before being cut off by an adamant Gullit.

Wednesday are 17th in the Championship, 12 points clear of the relegation zone and 11 points off the play-off positions.