Barry Bannan reveals new Sheffield Wednesday challenge leaves him 'fighting' | OneFootball

Barry Bannan has opened up on a new Sheffield Wednesday challenge, and Owls fans may just love it

Sheffield Wednesday supporters have plenty of reason for optimism ahead of the upcoming 2026/27 League One campaign and Barry Bannan is also relishing what lies ahead after making an emotional return to Hillsborough, although the iconic Owls midfield man has revealed what he is 'fighting for' as a new challenge looms in S6.

David Storch's long-awaited takeover of Wednesday has handed the club a new lease of life both on and off-the-pitch, and the Steel City outfit have unsurprisingly been among the EFL's busiest sides this summer in their efforts to rebuild a depleted squad and arm Henrik Pedersen with the required ammunition to direct a promotion push out of League One at the very first time of asking.

A litany of players have touched down with the Owls in recent times, with Bannan among the incomings in a move which saw the 36-year-old seal a heralded homecoming just months after leaving for Millwall in January.

Now, with the new season swiftly approaching ahead of Wednesday's curtain-raiser away to Leyton Orient this coming Saturday, Bannan has revealed a fresh obstacle he is facing since returning to Henrik Pedersen's side.

Barry Bannan reveals he's 'fighting' as new Sheffield Wednesday challenge arises

Bannan, of course, enjoys legendary status in this corner of the Steel City, having made close to 500 appearances across a 10-year period in his first spell with the Owls before coming back following Storch's takeover.

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The Scotman remains a firm fan favourite and Wednesdayites rejoiced upon his return, with the talented midfield talisman still capable of enjoying an instrumental impact in English football's third-tier after helping Millwall reach the play-off semi-finals last term.

However, Bannan is not one to rest on his laurels and, with Wednesday now having many more bodies in the building in contrast to the previous season's mismatch squad, he has admitted that competition for places in the middle of the park is stiff.

Indeed, this has led Bannan to confess the intention of proving himself all over again - and while Owls fans may think he's got nothing left to prove in blue-and-white, they'll appreciate the appetite for the fight regardless.

Speaking on talkSPORT in a wide-ranging breakdown of the newfound excitement among all at Wednesday, Bannan explained: "This season for me is a big, big season coming back to the club again, and I have to prove myself again.

"There's a lot of good players fighting for the midfield position, so I've set my own targets again for this season, and I can't wait to get going again.

"It feels as if I've never been away, and it's great to be back and really enjoying it again.”

Sheffield Wednesday's current midfield options amid Barry Bannan claim

Bannan, it must be said, will still represent one of the very first names on Pedersen's team sheet this season, but he's hardly wide of the mark by highlighting the increased midfield options at the Dane's disposal.

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The veteran partnered impressive new signing Jordi Liongola in Wednesday's EFL Cup first-round victory over Bolton Wanderers on Saturday, expertly setting up Jamal Lowe for the game's only goal in an encouraging outing for the Owls' new-look squad.

Either side, the pair were flanked by Jarvis Thornton and another recent incoming in Callum Slattery, who is most at home when operating in attacking midfield, whereas Sean Fusire remained on the bench.

However, both Thornton and Slattery will likely be expected to add to Pedersen's list of central midfield candidates if the club are to add further wingers in the remainder of the window, with new signings Billy Mitchell missing the fixture through injury and Tyler Onyango recently arriving on a three-year deal.

Barry Bannan's challenge is another positive at Sheffield Wednesday

It would be fair to say that Pedersen will face some selection headaches in different areas of the pitch once the new campaign truly heads underway, although those trials and tribulations will no doubt be cherished.

Following an action-packed summer transfer window which has yet further signs of life, his squad is night and day from the threadbare one that claimed just two victories throughout all of last season - composed primarily of academy products thrown into the deep end, and later on in the campaign, a handful of loan signings.

Wednesday began the window under no illusions of the scale of the squad rebuilding mission, and a series of bodies were needed in every position.

Some holes, of course, are yet to be filled in the manner that Wednesdayites would like, but time remains with Pedersen and co and, above all, the general complexion of the squad is infinitely healthier - meaning that these challenges are no bad thing and Bannan himself knows that all-too-well.