Sheffield Wednesday are keen to tie down defender Di’Shon Bernard to a new contract following the news that there is no one-year extension in his existing deal, according to The Sheffield Star.
The 23-year-old arrived at Hillsborough on a free transfer last summer following his release from Premier League giants Manchester United. He penned just a one-year contract and there have been concerns that he could attract attention from overseas clubs, who are allowed to talk to players in the last six months of their deals.
The Jamaican international has proved to be a big hit at the South Yorkshire club, racking up 24 appearances in all competitions. He has recently become a staple of Danny Rohl’s side in the heart of the defence and the German manager has made it known that he would like the player to commit his future to the club.
There had been murmurs that Bernard had initially joined on a ‘1+1’ deal, meaning that Wednesday would have the option to trigger an automatic one-year extension. However, the player revealed to The Star that this isn’t the case, although he did admit that initial conversations have taken place:
“At the moment it’s just about trying to play every game and at the end we can see what happens. I can’t say what will happen, really, because I don’t really know. I’m happy playing here under Danny. Since he has come here you can see that we’re playing much better football and I’m really enjoying working under him. We’ll see what happens.
“We’ve had conversations and in terms of my future he’s keen to have me and to continue to work with me, so it’s just ongoing conversations. There’s nothing official just yet but we’ll go forward with it and see what happens.”
The report also claims that there is likely to be a number of potential suitors should the former Portsmouth loanee decide his future lies elsewhere.
Sheffield Wednesday are currently six points from safety in 23rd in the Championship. They do possess a game in hand on the teams directly above them though, with Watford visiting Hillsborough on Wednesday. They then make the short trip to Huddersfield Town on Saturday in what could prove to be a relegation six-pointer.
Writer’s View
It’s obvious why Danny Rohl wants to keep a player of the quality of Di’Shon Bernard at the club. He is a defender who can more than hold his own in the Championship and perhaps beyond.
The ex-Manchester United youngster appears happy at the Owls, although he is likely waiting to see which division they will be playing in next season before making a decision. He will not be wanting to be playing League One football next season and it is unlikely that he will. Whether that is with Sheffield Wednesday are not remains to be seen.
