José Semedo urged to ‘stay strong’ by Barry Bannan as Sheffield Wednesday plan special ovation following devastating news about his wife

It was sadly confirmed this week that the ex-Owls captain was dealing with the tragic passing of his wife, Soraia, who tragically died earlier this week – the cause at this point is unknown.

Semedo’s current club, Vitoria FC, posted a heartfelt message on their official website on Friday morning where they extended their solidarity with the heart-on-his-sleeve midfield man.

The Portuguese fan favourite has also received messages from several members of the football community, including Wednesday who sent their ‘heartfelt condolences’ and his former Owls teammate, Barry Bannan, who sent out a touching message on Twitter.

Bannan said last night, “You made me feel welcome from day one, and showed me what Sheffield Wednesday was all about. You were an amazing leader for all of us.

“My thoughts and all your Wednesday family thoughts are with you and your amazing family we are here for you brother stay strong.”

Wednesday have since confirmed that they will be showing their support for their former skipper in the sixth minute – in line with his old shirt number – of their tie against Oxford United tomorrow afternoon.

Semedo made over 160 appearances in a Wednesday shirt in a six-year spell at Hillsborough during which he developed cult hero status for his performances and general attitude towards the club during the entirety of his time in blue and white.

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