Sheffield Wednesday club captain Barry Bannan has signed a new contract to keep him at Hillsborough for the 2024/25 Championship season.
Barry Bannan and Sheffield Wednesday’s longest-serving current player Liam Palmer, who has also signed a new contract, have been at the club for a combined 20 years.
Former Scotland international Bannan came to S6 on a free transfer in the 2015/16 season and has since featured in over 400 matches in all competitions, making him Wednesday’s 15th-highest appearance maker of all time.
The midfielder was a key figure in a Sheffield Wednesday side that completed a miraculous turnaround under manager Danny Rohl to stay in the second tier last season.
Barry Bannan reacts to contract extension
Despite previous uncertainty about Bannan’s future at Hillsborough, he has now committed his future to the club for an undisclosed period.
The Scotsman hailed his love for Wednesday in a social media reaction to his contract extension. Posting on X:
Bannan has become a beloved figure in Sheffield due to his enthusiasm for the club and work in the local community.
He has helped to raise over £75,000 for the Sheffield Children’s Hospital and recently paid for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies travel costs to a fixture at the New York Stadium.
Barry Bannan still key for Sheffield Wednesday
Bannan featured in all 35 of Danny Rohl‘s Championship fixtures last term and is likely to continue to be an important member of the squad next term.
Despite turning 35 in December, the same age as his manager, the midfielder shows few signs of slowing down.
The diminutive playmaker’s passing ability helps him control games from the middle of the park with a combination of quick short passes and accurate long passes and switches.
According to statistics from FBREF, Bannan ranked in the top 15% of players in his position for passes into the penalty area, long pass attempts, switches, and shot-creating actions in the Championship last season.
Rohl has raised the level of this Wednesday side and took the club from the bottom of the table to 20th position with 50 points in 35 matches.
It is no myth that Bannan is approaching retirement age, but he will certainly be key for the Owls next season as they look to build a new dynasty with their German manager at the helm.
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