Sheffield Wednesday's Cameron Dawson says Owls well-set to face big challenge of life back in the SkyBet Championship

That, and the foundation of a squad which broke a slew of club records last season, gives him confidence the Owls can "attack" next season's Championship rather than just exist in it.

They can take some inspiration from a fairly similarly-sized club in Sunderland, who made the second-tier play-offs in May having edged Wednesday out in the third-tier version 12 months earlier.

They missed out on the Wembley final, which saw Luton Town beat Coventry City. The Hatters won promotion from League One in 2019, the Sky Blues the following season.

In the wake of Wednesday's League One play-off win over Barnsley chairman Dejphon Chansiri said: “The journey now continues. The next stop is the Championship - one step closer to where we all want our wonderful club to be.”

Manager Darren Moore has already promised to freshen the squad with young players who can push it on.

"It's there if we want it, it's there for us to kick on and they'll be trying to do that upstairs with the manager as well," said Dawson, who was famously at the 2005 League One play-off final against Hartlepool United in Cardiff.

"When you play for a club like Sheffield Wednesday in League One there's pressure and credit to all of the lads because we've taken that pressure and kept picking ourselves up.

"We broke lots of lots of records and I'm really grateful to be part of this team.

"I'll go on holiday for a couple of weeks then we'll attack the Championship. It feels surreal saying it because I wouldn't let my mind wander during the season."

The Owls will be helped by gates which were the 21st best in the country last season.

"We've had some tough times as fans of this football club but to see them turn out time and time again, that Peterborough home leg (in the play-off semi-finals) was special to see them back us the way they did and Wembley was incredible, I was just trying to take it all in because you don't know how many chances you'll get to go there and walk out under the arch.

"I don't need to say too much on what I think of this football club because I am one of them (supporters)."

For his part, Moore has said his summer signings "have to take the team forward.

"It's pointless getting like-for-like players because if we have got them in the building then we don't need more replicas of the same. What we need to do is add players who are going to give the team a different dynamic and dimension.

"What we have got to do is recruit the youth and I think that's the work that we need to do. We feel looking at the squad and the players that are still under contract that there is vast experience with them."