What John Harkes, David Hirst, Roland Nilsson and more remember about Sheffield Wednesday's 1991 Rumbelows Cup glory

Ron Atkinson’s Sheffield Wednesday side of 1990/91 remain the last side from outside of England’s top tier to win a major trophy, a feat they completed by beating Manchester United no less at Wembley with John Sheridan’s iconic ‘dink’ goal.

Couple with their promotion the same season, it remains perhaps the greatest day in the club’s modern history.

Speaking to Alex Miller for his soon-to-be-released book ‘91 – The Inside Story of Sheffield Wednesday’s 1990/91 Season’, here’s a snippet of how some of the men at the centre of the achievement remember it 30 years on.

Ron Atkinson

“I was a great believer in a club getting a feel for Wembley. I was trying to build for the club to be used to going there, you never know where football is going to take you.

“It’s no coincidence that Sheffield Wednesday went there two or three times soon afterwards, it whets your appetite. I wanted to make it as much of an event as we could.”

Roland Nilsson

“It was just great to be able to run around with the trophy and be part of something special for the fans.

“It’s always tough when you accomplish something like that and then to go back and play what felt like normal matches, but at the same time we’d got our heads together and said that we had done one good thing and that we needed to do another thing to celebrate like we did in a final.”

John Harkes

“Everybody had their job to do. The job that Nigel Pearson and Shirty did on closing down Mark Hughes up front, amazing. We competed and thank god Shez hit that ball the way he did, Les Sealey got a hand on it and almost saved it.

“I was playing against many of my heroes at that time, Bryan Robson for me was the marvel. I couldn’t believe I was playing against him.”

David Hirst

“It was a game of few chances and it was always going to be a tough game. We did a lot of work leading up to the game, working how they played, how we would defend. And it worked. Sharpey on the wing, doubling up on him. It was well thought-out by Ron.

“But we knew we were a very good team. We had individuals who could do bits and pieces, but we knew we had to work hard as a team and that’s what we did. Incredible feeling.”

Danny Wilson

“We were massive underdogs and to take Manchester United on and play like we did was incredible.

“To see the fans as they were, they came down in numbers and they were enormous for us. They out-shouted Man United and that’s all we could hear, our fans. It lifted the lid off when the final whistle went.”

Paul Williams

“We weren’t the favourites to win. That was evident given the status of Manchester United. But I can tell you honestly, there was not one moment from the second we knew we were playing them that I ever envisaged that we would not win.

“There was no discussion of losing and Ron had got us in the frame of mind that however we did it, we were going to win the Rumbelows Cup final, we were going to bring that cup back to Sheffield.

“I remember thinking [when he saw the fans on Wembley Way] “Wow, we’re here on our own. Where are Man United?” It was very, very surreal. We couldn’t lose. We didn’t even think about losing. It was bizarre.”

Carlton Palmer

“Ron had me by his side all day. I was sat right next to him and he would not leave him alone.

“I just wanted them to win, to play well and to show what a good side we were. You have your important players but a team is a team, you have to have a good squad.

“I’m not going to lie to you, I’m not going to say I wasn’t down about it, I wanted to play. But the reception I got heading out helped. Still to this day I put it on and see it, it’s one of my favourite moments on a day I wasn’t even playing, all down to the reception the fans gave me.”