'Best feeling of my life' - teenage Sheffield Wednesday striker can't stop smiling after first goal

Will Grainger described scoring his first Sheffield Wednesday goal as the ‘best feeling of his life.’

The 17-year-old came off the bench to curl home from inside the area to pull a goal back when they were 3-0 down at Oxford United on Saturday. The Owls went on to lose 4-1 but nothing was taking the smile off Grainger’s face at full-time.

As a boyhood Wednesday fan, it meant the world to him and his family were there to enjoy the moment with him.

“Best feeling of my life,” he told The Star. “It was a weird situation - obviously the score played a part in it . Some of the players said to go over and enjoy it. I could not wipe the smile off my face for the rest of the game. It helped that I scored early after coming on because it helped me play with freedom and creativity.

“Being close to the first-team this season you want to do something to get everyone excited and then when it happened it is all you work for. It is really special.”

With not much time to think about it, Grainger took his goal impressively, opening up his body to curl high into the net.

“It just naturally happened,” he said. “When the ball was in the box I checked my shoulder once and I saw that I had a bit of space and then it was about getting a shot off as quickly as possible and when it went in it was just special.”

There was a memorable moment at full-time as Wednesday fans sang his name and his team-mates pushed him forward to lap up the applause in front of the away end.

He added: “I checked my phone when I went inside, I have got a few messages to get through! It is nice that people who have been with you your whole life have messaged.

“They (team-mates) all came up to me and said to cherish it because it won’t happen again, your first goal. They have been really good.”

Wednesday host West Brom next weekend to finish off the 2025/2026 campaign.