Big Barry Bannan twist emerges at Sheffield Wednesday - fans will be gutted | OneFootball

Barry Bannan looks set to play his final Sheffield Wednesday game on Saturday away to Bristol City

Barry Bannan's time with Sheffield Wednesday appears to be coming to an end, with the Owls' fixture away to Bristol City on Saturday set to be his last for the club.

After over 475 appearances in the blue and white of Sheffield Wednesday, Barry Bannan's time at Hillsborough looks to be coming to an end.

The 27-capped former Scottish international joined the South Yorkshire outfit from Crystal Palace back in 2015, and has seen many highs and lows during his stint with the club.

Captaining the club through one of their darkest periods, Bannan's leadership and professionalism have been exemplary, and despite his time at the club looking to come to a premature end, he will always be remembered in high regard by the Owls faithful.

Sheffield Wednesday hit with huge Barry Bannan blow as Championship rivals loom

Indeed, it looks as though Bannan's time with Wednesday looks to be coming to an end, with six months remaining on his current deal.

As reported by Joe Crann via X, Bannan looks set to play his final game for the Owls on Saturday, with the likes of Millwall, Stoke City, and Preston North End said to be interested in the veteran midfielder.

Alex Miller has further reported that the veteran has informed Wednesday of his decision to leave the club this month, with Millwall said to be the most likely destination, and in a separate update from BBC Sheffield's Andy Giddings, Bannan is revealed to have wanted assurances about the Owls' future - something which can only be assumed he did not get.

As per Alax Nixon, Millwall have been the club most prominently linked with the 36-year-old, with Alex Neil's side in the midst of a battle for the top six.

Both Stoke and Preston have also been credited with interest in Bannan, and though no destination has been confirmed for the Scot as yet, it appears to be those three who are leading the running.

The departure of Bannan will, of course, come as a major blow for Wednesday, who, even despite their precarious position at the bottom of the Championship table, will be gutted to see their best player, captain, and club icon leave so soon.

Whoever manages to get a deal over the line for Bannan will be getting a player heaped with Championship experience, with over 400 appearances in the second tier, and although his athleticism has dwindled in recent years, his technical ability doesn't seem to have wavered, and he likely walks into whatever midfield he joins.

Barry Bannan's exit will be emotional for Sheffield Wednesday supporters

Bannan's departure will hurt a lot of Wednesday fans for more than one reason, as it signifies the end of an era for the club.

With Dejphon Chansiri finally out of the picture, the Owls were succumbed to relegation from the minute a ball was kicked this season, and though losing Bannan will likely change nothing in terms of their finishing position, seeing him depart before the season ends will be particularly gutting.

As he was substituted off late on in their 2-0 home defeat to Birmingham City, there was a sense in the air that that was indeed his final game as a Wednesday player at Hillsborough, and so it looks to have proven to be.

The travelling Owls fans will get the chance to say one last goodbye to him at Ashton Gate on Saturday, though it won't be easy to part ways for either party.

A true club legend, Bannan will leave with the best wishes from Owls supporters, knowing he was one of the few who stuck around when times got tough, and never downed tools when he easily could've.