Sheffield Wednesday's Callum Paterson on blocking out the 'scary' noise that his Championship season was over

After being out since just after Christmas, the Scot underwent knee surgery in February, placing his future participation in the 2023-24 season in jeopardy after the injury was revealed to be more serious than first thought.

True to form, the ex-Hearts and Cardiff player - no stranger to injury misfortune - has got his head down and thrown himself into rehabilitation and fitness work to put his hand up to be back in contention before season’s end - amid another huge end to a campaign at Hillsborough.

Confirmation that Paterson would play a part in the remainder of the season arrived late last month when he was given a squad number ahead of the deadline for registering players for the final eight league games of 2023-24.

Sidelined since Boxing Day, Paterson made his comeback in last weekend’s win at QPR and also came on from the bench in the midweek draw with Norwich City.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s six-pointer with fellow strugglers Stoke City, Paterson said: “In my mind, I was always going to get back, so it was a bit scary for me to see people were saying this, that and the other that I wasn’t going to come back.

"But I’ve been working hard and on the grass to show the intensity I needed to get back on the pitch.

"It’s been good to be back. It’s been a long three or four months for me.

"I’m no stranger to being out. I’ve come through injuries before thankfully and worked hard with the physios and all the sports science team to get back on the pitch and I am thankful to them to get back out there and am thankful to be able to do my job again.

"It’s good to be back involved and playing my part.”

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Wednesday remain in the drop zone on goal difference below Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield Town, but head into the Potters clash in a good place after a haul of four points from the last available six.

It has been a commendable response, more especially given a four-match winless sequence which preceded it, including awful away losses at Ipswich Town and Middlesbrough.

And despite other relegation rivals having picked up results in recent weeks and months, the Owls – despite remaining in the bottom three - have admirably refused to lose heart.

Patterson added: “It’s a bit of belief. We’ve been picking up results through the last couple of months and trams around us have (also) been picking up results, which has spurred us on a bit.

"When you come in after a good result and have seen everyone else has done well as well, you use that as a bit of kick to drag us on.

"Working on the training pitch, we’ve been in all day, every day as we want to be in this league next year.”