Player Profile - Fernando Forestieri

Fernando Forestieri: Flair, fire and big moments for Wednesday

Name: Fernando Forestieri
Position: Attacking Midfielder / Forward
Nationality: Argentine-born Italian
Years at Sheffield Wednesday: 2015–2020
Appearances: 134
Goals: 40
Assists: 17

When Fernando Forestieri arrived from Watford in the summer of 2015, Sheffield Wednesday were building something new. Dejphon Chansiri’s takeover had brought fresh energy to the club, Carlos Carvalhal arrived with a different style and outlook, and a number of key signings gave supporters real reason to believe that Wednesday might finally be moving in the right direction again.

Forestieri quickly looked like one of the most important of them.

That summer recruitment drive transformed the feel of the squad. Barry Bannan brought craft and control in midfield, Ross Wallace added experience and quality in wide areas, Lucas João offered a different attacking option, and players like Jack Hunt and Gary Hooper became important parts of a side that grew stronger as the season went on. But even in a squad that was clearly improving, Forestieri stood out almost immediately.

There was something distinctive about the way he played. The first touch, the balance, the dribbling, the low centre of gravity, the ability to glide away from players in tight areas and make something happen where there looked to be nothing on. Wednesday supporters had seen talented players before, but Forestieri felt like one of those rare attacking players who could turn a match on his own. He was the sort of footballer who made people lean forward in their seat when he got the ball, because there was always the sense that something might happen.

His first season told the story. Forestieri finished the 2015/16 campaign as Wednesday’s top scorer with 15 goals in all competitions and was central to the club’s push into the Championship play-offs. He won Player of the Year at the end of the season, and it was thoroughly deserved. This was not a good player finding his feet slowly. This was a player arriving and immediately becoming one of the most exciting talents at Hillsborough in years.

That side had quality all over it. Kieren Westwood between the sticks, Kieren Lee was one of the most reliable and intelligent midfielders in the division. Hutch, Palmer, Pudil & Loovens offering Wednesday defensive strength and depth. Forestieri himself made 39 appearances in the league campaign. Gary Hooper added goals, Ross Wallace brought quality and know-how, and Jack Hunt became a key presence on the right. It was a proper team, not just a collection of names, and Forestieri was right at the heart of it.

Part of what made him so effective was his unpredictability. He could play as a number ten, as a second striker, out wide, or drift between all of those roles in the same game. He was unpredictable in the best way, whether it was a shot from distance, a quick change of direction, a clever run into the box, or a piece of invention where others would have played it safe. He gave Wednesday something extra, and for long spells that season it felt like he could be the player to drag the club back to the Premier League.

The team came painfully close.

Results elsewhere on 2nd May 2016, specifically Brighton and Derby, meant Wednesday could finish no higher than sixth heading into their final league game of the season away at Wolves. The campaign ended with a 2–1 defeat at Molineux, but by then the real prize was the play-offs. Wednesday had given themselves a chance, and with the form they had built, there was belief that they could still do something special.

That belief only grew in the semi-final.

After a 3–1 aggregate win over Brighton, Wednesday became the first side to book their place in the play-off final at Wembley. It was a huge moment for the club and a landmark occasion for supporters too, marking Sheffield Wednesday’s first appearance at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium. More than 41,000 Owls fans made the journey, carrying hope that the club was one game away from a return to the top flight for the first time in 16 years.

It did not end the way Wednesday fans wanted. Hull City won 1–0 through a Mohamed Diamé goal, and the dream was gone. But the disappointment of Wembley should not obscure how strong that season was, or how important Forestieri had been in driving it.

He was not just productive, he was captivating. Forestieri brought edge as well as quality, and there was a confidence about him that supporters responded to. He was never the type to hide. He wanted the ball, wanted to influence games, and wanted to be the one who made the difference. In a squad full of strong performers, he still felt like the player most capable of producing something out of nothing.

That said, Forestieri’s Wednesday story was never completely straightforward.

Part of what made him such a compelling player was that he always seemed to live close to the surface emotionally. That could be seen in the way he played, full of urgency and belief, but it also showed itself off the pitch. The clearest example came in 2016 when speculation over interest from Derby County and Newcastle United led to him refusing to travel for the game against Norwich City. It was a serious moment, and one that understandably angered plenty of supporters.

Forestieri later apologised, calling his actions unacceptable and unprofessional, and years later he gave more context around how frustrated he had been with the situation and the club’s refusal to engage over his future. Some fans will always hold that incident against him, while others will see it as part of the complicated nature that came with a player like Forestieri. Either way, it cannot be ignored, but it also should not define his entire time at Hillsborough.

The bigger picture is still clear. Fernando Forestieri was one of the best technical players Sheffield Wednesday have had in the modern era. He scored 40 goals in 134 appearances, produced moments of real class, and gave supporters memories that lasted well beyond his departure in 2020. He was not always easy and he was not always consistent, but when he was at his best he was electric.

That is why people still talk about him now. Not because he was perfect, and not because everything ended neatly, but because he made Wednesday feel dangerous, alive and capable of something special. The 2015/16 team will always be remembered for how close it came, and Forestieri will always be remembered as one of the biggest reasons that side felt capable of going all the way.