Sheffield Wednesday legend waiting for tests over ‘neurological situation’

The 60-year-old spent seven years as a player in some of Wednesday’s greatest sides, lifting the 1991 League Cup after a famous win over Manchester United weeks before helping to seal promotion from the Second Division in 1991. He made over 200 appearances for the Owls.

Pearson is now manager of Wednesday’s Championship rivals Bristol City and has been walking on crutches since September due to a back problem for which he is awaiting surgery. The two medical issues are not linked, he said.

“I know people know that I need a back op and that hasn’t changed,” he told BBC Radio Bristol. “But that’s not really the main problem for me at the minute. It’s a neurological situation - but I’m still awaiting further tests to find out what the prognosis is.

“The good news from my perspective is all the sinister possibilities, cancer etc, have been ruled out.”

Wednesday are due to make the trip to Ashton Gate on November 4. With a prognosis yet to be determined, it is not yet known what medicals procedures if any Pearson will require on the neurological situation. He hopes that along with his forthcoming back operation, any issues can be resolved in one go rather than have a sustained period away.

“What I don’t want to do is prolong it over five, six weeks,” Pearson said. “It’s just one of those situations where the symptoms that I have don’t match the scans in terms of the back, so we have to investigate other areas.”

Pearson added: “I am waiting to find out what the next step will be. In the meantime, of course, what’s really important is we continue to work very closely together as a group of staff to make sure, as always, the players come first - and that’s what I will always do.

“On a personal level it’s a bit frustrating but on a professional level it’s just something you’ve got to deal with.”