Tired and emotional Danny Röhl on the beers as Sheffield Wednesday complete tough journey

In matches Sheffield Wednesday have lost in his time at the club, he has cut a figure of dejection in post-match media engagements. After wins, he is a picture of joy.

After he watched on as his players earned a 2-0 win at Sunderland to complete what started out as an incredibly unlikely great escape from Championship relegation, his body language was that of a figure spent. He was delighted, but exhausted. It has been something of an emotional rollercoaster.

“I feel just tired today, honestly,” the German coach smiled. “The last six months have given us a hard, tough journey to come to today. Everybody won and there was not one millimetre space to do nothing. In some moments today we had the luck that we need in our situation, but all in all we should be very proud of our team and our club. It is not normal to stay in the league when you have just one win in 19 matchdays from the beginning of the season. It shows a lot about the mentality from our players.”

The match ebbed and flowed and goals from long-time Wednesday heroes Liam Palmer and Josh Windass sealed the deal in a match Sunderland initially threatened in before sleepwalking towards the finality of a midtable campaign. With all the other teams in the relegation scrap also registering wins on a manic last day showdown, Wednesday’s victory was vitally important.

Now, focus falls on celebrations of a monumental achievement.

Röhl continued: “In extra time I was a little bit nervous! You never know what happens in football, but we must be happy. You cannot think about it too much, you must enjoy and just be happy in the moment. I think now, as you know, I do not drink alcohol. But tonight maybe I will have one beer today. This evening I will have to enjoy.”