Sheffield Wednesday man confirms key contract detail ahead of final day drama

The 26-year-old centre back hasn’t had the most straightforward debut season with the Owls after joining from Preston North End in the summer. He signed for Xisco, watched the Spaniard leave just weeks after doing so, and has faced a couple of spells out of the side due to injury and selection.

In recent weeks, however, he’s managed to step up in a big way when needed, coming into the team in difficult situations and handling them excellently in order to help the Owls pick up bigs wins against the likes of Queens Park Rangers, Blackburn Rovers and - most recently - West Bromwich Albion. It hasn’t mattered whether he got 90 minutes or 13.

Unlike so many in the side he’s got more than personal pride on the line, too, with the centre back confirming that his Wednesday contract does run into next season, so he’s working hard to make sure that he and his colleagues are still Championship players by the time the 2024/25 campaign gets underway.

“You can see what we’re growing and growing,” he told The Star. “And when you’re here for the next season you want to keep that work going. It’s not a case of ‘see you later’, because I’m excited. I want to be a good footballer, and he have one game left that we need to sort before we’re thinking about next season.

Join our Whatsapp channel for your Wednesday news without the fuss of social media

"But, individually, if we stay in the Championship then we want to do big things always. In the summer I always do my preparation for the next season to give the best that I can, and I think if every player thinks like that then we can do something amazing.”

Diaby has played 34 times in all competitions for Wednesday so far this season, and only eight players in the side have played more minutes than he has - this weekend, at the Stadium of Light, he’ll be hoping to play his part in one more for 2023/24 and help his side get the point they need to secure their second tier status.