It's fair to say the 2018/2019 season was a hard one for Sheffield Wednesday fans to take.

In only their second season back in the Championship, rivals Sheffield United were promoted to the Premier League after finishing second. Wednesday fans probably still think back to what could have been in 2016 as they missed out on returning to the top flight when they were narrowly beaten 1-0 by Hull City in the Wembley play-off final.

The following season saw them again defeated in the play-offs, this time a penalty shootout defeat to Huddersfield in the semi-finals. To see their rivals unexpectedly promoted after being in League One for so long was no doubt a bitter pill for Owls fans to take.

Ironically, Steve Bruce, the man who thwarted their promotion dreams in 2016, is now in charge at Hillsborough and is tasked with taking Wednesday back to the big time. There are doubts over how much money he will have to spend this summer but fans should be hopeful for the season ahead.

When Aston Villa beat Derby in the play-off final on Monday, manager Dean Smith praised Steve Bruce for the work he had done previously, despite his sacking in October. Both Villa's scorers on Monday, El Ghazi and John McGinn were Steve Bruce signings and the majority of the starting line-up had been assembled by Bruce.

The 58-year-old is one of the most experienced managers in the Championship and has a fantastic record of getting clubs out of the Championship. With Bruce possibly working on a tighter budget than what he previously had at Aston Villa, he may be forced into the loan market as well as looking for free transfers. Interestingly, it looks as if the man who scored the winning goal for Hull against Wednesday in 2016, Mo Diame, will be leaving Newcastle after failing to gain a contract extension.

The Senegalese international may be tempted away from England but worked well under Bruce at Hull and would be a steal on a free transfer. The midfielder is not averse to dropping down a division and would be an excellent addition to any Championship side.

While last season may have been a difficult one for Wednesday fans, they should be hopeful for the upcoming campaign. They have the right man in charge to give them a chance of challenging at the top of the Championship.