The unwanted double Steve Bruce bagged after Sheffield Wednesday’s dramatic defeat to his old club Aston Villa

Bruce, who led Villa to the Championship play-off final last term, was in charge of the Midlands club when the Owls triumphed at Villa Park earlier this season.

Yesterday's 3-1 loss means the former Manchester United becomes the first manager to lose a Football League fixture in charge of both teams in a single season since Paul Cook during the 2012-13 campaign. Cook lost as manager of both Accrington Stanley and Chesterfield in their two League Two meetings that term.

Speaking after the first defeat of his Owls reign, Bruce told The Star: "We really took Villa to the sword. They are a very good team but we missed a penalty and chance after chance.

"All you are then wanting is a break.

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"Maybe we could have defended a bit better but, overall, the way we played.

"Sometimes you have to take it on your chin and stay with it. The players were terrific and I could not have asked for anything more from them.

"It was just not our day."

The end of Bruce's tenure at Villa was marred by an increasingly fractious relationship with the club's fan-base. The 58-year-old infamously had a cabbage thrown at him prior to his final match in charge, a chaotic 3-3 draw against Preston North End. Bruce was sacked in October.

After a break away from football following a difficult 2018 in his personal life, Bruce was appointed Wednesday boss on January 2. He officially began the job at the end of the month and guided the Owls on an 11-match unbeaten streak.

Dom Howson’s video verdict as Owls fall to 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa