Sheffield Wednesday are working hard to avoid a repeat of last summer’s contract debacle, which saw 12 players come to the ends of their contracts.
The final few months and weeks of last season were especially hectic for Danny Rohl and Sheffield Wednesday.
Not only did they have a great escape to pull off in the Championship, but they also had the issue of 12 players being out of contract to deal with as well.
And of course, no player wanted to sign a new deal until they discovered what league the Owls were in. Then when Wednesday beat the drop, players either stayed or left.
Rohl got new deals down for key players Josh Windass, Barry Bannan, Liam Palmer, and Dominic Iorfa, who’ve all gone on to play important roles this time round.
The last one to sign a new deal was Di’Shon Bernard. Bernard has widespread transfer interest during the summer after his impressive 2023/24 season at Hillsborough.
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Di’Shon Bernard finally relaxed about future after previous uncertainty
In the summer of 2023, Bernard left Manchester United as a free agent. Then in the summer of 2024 he became a free agent once again, with Bernard eventually penning a three-year deal with Sheffield Wednesday.
Now, ahead of the summer of 2025, Bernard doesn’t have any uncertainty about where his future lies.
Speaking to The Star, 24-year-old Bernard said of not being out of contract next summer: “It makes me more relaxed and able to focus on the football.
“The last two years now I’ve been going into a summer where you’re a bit unsure, you’re messaging your agent every day asking ‘What’s happening? Any news?’
“That can be hard at times, being stuck at home not being able to do what you want to do.
“I’m happy now being settled and being able to concentrate on my football, on the season at hand and trying to better myself. I want to get better and better.”
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Danny Rohl eyeing future Sheffield Wednesday XI with Di’Shon Bernard at the centre
Bernard certainly showed his quality and his potential last season, and despite one or two mixed performances this season, he remains a huge asset for the Owls.
And speaking earlier in November, Rohl explained how he can build a Sheffield Wednesday XI around Bernard and academy gems Pierce Charles and Gabriel Otegbayo.
Rohl said: “We have Di’Shon Bernard, Pierce Charles, Gabriel Otegbayo… they could be the future for this club. This is also the outcome from since I joined in the last year.”
Next summer, Bailey Cadamarteri will return from what has so far been an impressive loan spell with Lincoln City, whilst the likes of Sean Fusire may also be in line for more game time too.