Sam Winnall on why the season will end ‘too quickly’ for Sheffield Wednesday

The Owls forward, who was handed his first start since 2017 in the last league match against Blackburn Rovers, also admitted that he would have liked to have returned to action earlier in the campaign as he returned to full fitness after 13 months battling with injury.

Winnall sustained a serious knee injury while on loan with Derby County last season, and has since been sidelined with a broken nose and a hamstring problem while back at Wednesday.

Speaking to the media ahead of tomorrow’s Championship clash against Stoke City, Winnall said: “I don’t want to say I am 100 per cent fit, because I haven’t done 90 minutes in a first team game yet. But I feel as I am close as I ever will be.

“The appearances I have made were kind of scattered. When I first got back my own ego was probably telling me I was ready when I wasn’t.

“So I went I away, trained harder than I probably have ever trained, and I have got myself to the stage where physically I feel better than I have ever felt. Now it’s all about getting minutes on the pitch and hopefully earning a place in the side.

“I would have loved to have come back sooner, and played more games this season, but you can’t dwell on the past and constantly look forward.

“The season will come to an end too quickly, but, at the same time, we will have the excitement of next season, whether we are in the Premier League or the Championship.”

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Winnall is yet to find the back of the net since returning to action for the Owls, but is hoping to end the drought against Stoke at the Bet365 Stadium.

“I am just thinking about football now," he said. “Instead of thinking about my injury, thinking I don’t want anything to go wrong, I am thinking more about performances now and getting results.

“Mentally I am in a good place and just want to keep playing, training hard, and hopefully getting minutes on the pitch.

“I have always prided myself on the ability to be in the right place at the right time. I feel as if I have had a couple of near misses.

“The keeper made a good save at Bolton, and then in the first couple of minutes against Blackburn I had a couple which just evaded me. But I know the goals are going to come.

“I have scored goals all my career, I know the goals will come.”