Why Florian Kamberi will have slept differently after scoring first Sheffield Wednesday goal

Florian Kamberi may well have rested a little easier on his pillow on Saturday night.
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The Swiss-born striker netted his first Sheffield Wednesday goal in their 2-0 South Yorkshire derby day win at Rotherham United to put a cherry or two on the top of what has been a start to life at the club widely appreciated by the Owls faithful.

Rested in quarantine for five days on his arrival in the UK, Kamberi had little to do but sit back, tuck into box sets and visualise what it must be to hit the back of the net for his new club.

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“Goals are obviously very important,” he said in his first interview as a Wednesday player earlier this month. “Every forward loves to score goals and make assists.

Florian Kamberi scored his first Sheffield Wednesday goal in the win over Rotherham United.Florian Kamberi scored his first Sheffield Wednesday goal in the win over Rotherham United.
Florian Kamberi scored his first Sheffield Wednesday goal in the win over Rotherham United.

“I’m the type that, if I score goals, I sleep differently to when I’m not scoring goals. But as long as the team is winning and we always get the three points, that’s the main thing.

“I know my game, I know the goals I score, and I had plenty of time to think about those goals!”

Kamberi’s Rotherham-downing goal came as a result of some hard work on the right wing from Callum Paterson, one of the men in direct competition with him for a starting place.

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Despite that isolation period, the 26-year-old said he has been welcomed warmly to life in blue and white by a changing room that seems more together than in recent seasons.

“It was a little bit different,” he said. “I couldn’t go straight away, I couldn’t go ahead straight to the training ground to meet my teammates.

“Look, I’m not angry about it, it’s obviously not just me in that situation, the whole world has it tough. You have to adapt and do the best we can in that situation.

“I felt comfortable from the very first day. The boys are great and it really is a great dressing room. With a few of the boys I have been now for lunch and for dinner.

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“They are a very social, kind, open guys. I had no problem at all.”

There were offers from elsewhere in England, he admitted, but it was a single phone call that sealed the deal, as has been the way with several of Wedneday’s new signings.

He said: “My agent spoke to other clubs as well, but when I heard about Sheffield Wednesday it was for me a no-brainer.

“I felt from that very first chat with the manager very comfortable and very wanted, and that’s why I’m here now.

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“It important for me that I feel comfortable when I speak to the manager, it was an easy decision for me to join a massive club in Sheffield Wednesday.”

It seems it will take a lot more than one goal to go to Kamberi’s head. Previous managers – including his former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard – have spoken for his professional attitude.

“I’m a confident guy,” Kamberi said. “I know what I can bring to the team, though I’m not the sort of guy who likes to talk too much about what sort of player I am or whatever. I want to be humble, to work hard and to help the team whenever I get the opportunity.”