Sheffield Wednesday legend pens Owls love letter, reveals rejected offers

Carbone, now 48, spent three seasons with the Owls, scoring some memorable goals and almost played a role in helping them return to European football in 1997, but left amid a contract dispute in 1999 before playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Bradford City and others prior to a return to Italy.

Now, with time to reflect during the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown, ‘Benny’ has looked back fondly at his time at S6, also remembering spells elsewhere, while going on to reveal that the club rejected ‘many requests received’ for his services during his days there.

The former Wednesday man took to his personal Instagram account to tell tales of his time at Hillsborough, thanking Orlando Trustfull and Regi Blinker specifically for helping him settle in South Yorkshire on his arrival.

In three heartfelt posts recently, the Italian said, “I packed my bags and took flight… I didn't speak English and I was aware that I was about to approach a method and a football culture far from the one known up to that moment… I took my family with me, a heart that was beating crazy and a great desire to win… I arrived in Sheffield and I knew the sacrifices, then the little joys and finally… THE SUCCESS…

“For three consecutive years SWFC considered me one of the most important players, I wasn't sold to any other team despite the many requests received and the city huddled all around me… The screams of the fans filled the stadiums and fields, English people mingled with my blood… A daydream that deserved all the determination and professionalism of those who understood that happiness could be achieved… And it was also contagious…

“Sliding doors… This is what comes to mind when I think about when I left Inter to join Sheffield… This was the choice that inevitably influenced my football career over time… I learned in a short time thanks to fantastic people like Orlando Trustfull and Regi Blinker to correctly pronounce those terms that at the beginning seemed so far from me… To share with another immense Italian, arrived on that happy island, Paolo di Canio the most important moments of an incredible experience… And more than anything else I learned that everyone's place is only there where you feel victorious… It is there that your heart resides… It is there whose memories still cause me today chills...”

Carbone scored 25 Premier League goals in 96 games during his time at Hillsborough, including six in the 1996/97 season where Wednesday missed out on a place in the UEFA Cup Winners Cup by three points to Chelsea – their joint-highest finish in the Premier League era.