It’s been a long road back for Owls defender...

Di’Shon Bernard says he experienced a ‘bunch of emotions’ on an ‘amazing’ day as he made his long-awaited return to action at the weekend.

The Sheffield Wednesday defender made his first appearance in 19 months following a knee injury. He played the first-half in a 2-2 draw for the under-21’s against Charlton Athletic on Sunday at Hillsborough. Before that his last outing had been in March 2025 against West Brom in the Championship. Surgeries and setbacks followed, but the talented defender is now back amongst it and he could not be happier.

The Jamaica centre-back, 25, was joined on the pitch by first-team squad members Ernie Weaver, Jaden Heskey, Jarvis Thornton and Will Grainger, while manager Henrik Pedersen, Barry Bannan, Yan Valery, Jordi Liognola and Ricardo Santos supported their team-mate from the stands.

“There were a bunch of emotions,” he said. “Nervous, excited, scared. I think once the whistle blew, I just felt comfortable again back doing what I do best. It's been amazing to be honest. A really, really good day. I wanted to mention it, because obviously the lads came to support me.

“It just builds my confidence with everyone wanting me back. So when I do step on the pitch, I feel more comfortable. It's been a long, long journey. It's not easy coming back from such a long time. It's hard to get the body back in the right place but credit to everyone around me for getting me to this point. The medical staff have been by me since day one. It's a step up physically but I guess mentally, it's a massive step up as well.

“I had team-mates come to support me at the game, which just shows the squad and the family I have. It's been a long 19 months, but to get the feeling back again, to be out at Hillsborough with the boys was a big step. Obviously there were a few first-team players playing, so it made it a bit easier for me. But it felt good to be back at home.”

It was last month when Pedersen first mentioned that Bernard could play for the under-21s in September and since then he has been joining in training, much to the delight of the Owls boss and his team-mates. It remains to be seen what the next step is for Bernard, with more training and another under-21 outing seemingly likely.

“I’ve been feeling good, feeling good in my body and trusting myself,” he added. “Then the game came, a good test for the lungs being back out there! But no, it's another good step and another box ticked off so I can't wait for the next one.

“I think we're going to just build it up, build it up nicely. I know we're very, very close but you can't rush these things. There have been many ups and downs, so hopefully it's just a straight line now for me.”