best also had two loan spells at sheffield wednesday in the 2005–06 season, scoring his first professional goal and wednesday's first of the season on 9 august 2005 at hillsborough against hull city. the first loan spell was cut short in the same match when best broke his foot and returned to st. mary's after only 5 days in sheffield. after recovering with southampton, best then returned to hillsborough at the end of the january transfer window (though there was also speculation he would go to crystal palace) where he remained until the end of the season, scoring wednesday's last goal of the season at derby county on 30 april 2006.