How Sheffield Wednesday forward Fernando Forestieri made superfan’s 18th birthday even more special

But in among all the turmoil, the club came through two pre-season friendlies unscathed on Saturday with a 3-1 win at Lincoln City and a 5-0 victory at Stocksbridge Park Steels.

And there was an even more special story on Saturday though as Sheffield Wednesday superfan Jamie Ellis received a visit from a special guest at his 18th birthday party.

Jamie, who has Down’s Syndrome, had invited his favourite player Fernando Forestieri to his big night at Dinnington Rugby Club.

His dad Steve explained: “Jamie has got Down’s Syndrome and at the Sheffield Owls Disabled Association awards night at the end of the season he took an invite to Fernando Forestieri and asked him if would come to his party.

“He said if he was in Sheffield he would try and come over and we didn’t think any more of it.”

Having just watched the Owls’ victory at Lincoln earlier in the day, Jamie and his family were getting ready for his big party when there was situation suddenly a need to get ready a little sooner than they had planned.

Steve said: “We had been to Lincoln to watch the game and I was in the shower and my phone went. I had only got my Apple Watch on and there was shampoo all over the place.

“The woman at the rugby club said there was a friend of Jamie’s there that wanted to see him. He came on the phone but all I could hear was this bloke talking because I was in the shower.

“He said he had to go see his family in London but that he wanted to see Jamie.”

Jamie, of Throapham, is a season-ticket holder at Hillsborough and the family rushed to the rugby club to meet his idol.

Steve said: “He had messaged me on Instagram on Friday night to say that he couldn't make the party because his family were in London but he wanted to come to the house to see Jamie.

“I hadn't seen those messages and we’d given him the wrong postcode for the rugby club on the invite so he ended up in the middle of some field in Dinnington. I think at that point I would probably have just given up.

He added: “It was just an amazing thing to do and it was absolutely brilliant for Jamie. It was a special day anyway because it was his 18th but for him to come and do that made it even more special.

“With all the turmoil that’s going off at the club at the minute it just puts it all in perspective.”