How José Semedo Day left Sheffield Wednesday cult hero in ‘shock’ but touched

Semedo, who is still playing football for Vitoria Detubal at the rip age of 37, spent five years with the Owls, and developed a cult status at the club not just for his performances, but also his passion and never-say-die attitude in a blue and white shirt.

In return, Wednesdayites decided to organise a day in his honour, with about 3,000 Semedo masks being printed and taken to Nottingham Forest’s City Ground – while others took fans, cardboard cut-outs and more.

The tough-tackling midfield man was taken aback by what he saw when he made his way out of the tunnel, but says he ‘can never thank those fans enough’.

“I knew there was a Semedo Day,” he told The Star previously. “I found out on the Friday, but I didn’t really understand it. I thought it was just singing my name a bit more than usual or something…

“I was captain, so I came out first, and then I saw the stand… Covered in my face! I stopped and I said, ‘It’s me over there!’, but I was in shock. I was just thinking, ‘They all look like my face!’. I couldn’t believe it. There was masks and Portugal flags, and I can never thank those fans enough. It touched me a lot.”

Semedo has played nine times for Vitoria Setubal this season, and there doesn’t seem to be any talk of retirement anytime soon.

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