Watch Sheffield Wednesday go next season, says George Boyd

The Burnley midfielder was joining an Owls team who had gone close to promotion via the play-offs in their previous two campaigns.

But after an injury-hit season for 32-year-old Boyd and many of his team-mates the Owls head into their final nine games with their only task being to secure their Championship status.

They travel to Elland Road today eight points clear of the bottom three with nine games remaining.

Boyd is confident Wednesday – with injury-hit trio Barry Bannan, Sam Hutchinson and Joost van Aken in contention to make their first appearances since December – will be safe and is tipping them to be strong promotion contenders next season. “We’ll get it done as quick as we can,” said Boyd. “I wasn’t expecting this season when I signed in the summer.

“After getting this season done I’m more than confident and excited for next season that with the squad we’ve got we can make a real promotion push.

“I feel like if we’d had everyone fit then we’d be up there now. There’s no doubt about it with what we’ve got in the dressing room.

“We just have to write off this and go again next season. We’ve got more than enough.”

Former Hull City midfielder Boyd, playing in an unaccustomed wing-back role under new manager Jos Luhukay, added: “I’d say it’s the most disappointing season I’ve had in my career.

“First, with being injured because I’ve never been injured and then as a club we shouldn’t be down where we are.

“We’re hurting because we know what we’re capable of.”

He continued: “It’s weird playing wing-back, you’re not going to get the best of me at wing-back.

“But ultimately I want to play football matches and if that’s where I’ve got to play, that’s where I’ve got to play.”