Big Henrik Pedersen decision at Sheffield Wednesday has caused a stir online | OneFootball

Henrik Pedersen has confirmed Liam Palmer as the Sheffield Wednesday club captain ahead of Barry Bannan

Sheffield Wednesday are preparing for life in League One under new owners Arise Capital.

The Owls endured a terrible 2025/26, with the club going into administration before eventually being taken over by the group led by David Storch at the start of May.

Henrik Pedersen will be keen to rebuild his first team squad, with several additions already confirmed.

The Yorkshire outfit have until 1 September to complete their remaining business, with more signings expected.

Sheffield Wednesday have signed Jordi Liongola, Callum Slattery, Louie Barry, Sil Swinkels, Billy Mitchell, Ricardo Santos and Joe Lumley on permanent deals, with Harry Gray joining on loan.

And Barry Bannan has also made his return to Hillsborough just six months after his move to Millwall.

Henrik Pedersen confirms Liam Palmer as club captain

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Pedersen has confirmed that Liam Palmer will be taking on the role of club captain next season, and not the returning Bannan, which has come as a surprise to supporters.

The Danish coach has claimed that the decision was made quickly, and that the midfielder will be the new vice-captain instead.

"We made that decision early," said Pedersen, via Owls Extra on X.

"Liam [Palmer] is the club captain and Barry [Bannan] is the vice-captain."

Palmer came through the ranks of the Sheffield Wednesday academy system, and has been with the club ever since, making his debut in 2010/11.

The 34-year-old has made over 500 appearances for the Owls, with his 500th game coming last March.

He became just the fourth player in the club’s history to reach that milestone, and Bannan could now become the fifth in the upcoming campaign.

The 36-year-old was captain prior to his move to Millwall in January, but will now be second-in-command for when the team’s season gets underway in August.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans feel about Liam Palmer being captain

Some fans have expressed their concerns with Palmer remaining as captain, and that it could mean he becomes a starter for every game.

However, many supporters have suggested that it would be unfair to strip the 34-year-old of the role now that Bannan has returned.

And fans also believe that there will be times when Palmer isn’t on the pitch, and Bannan will take on the captaincy.

In fact, supporters have claimed that Bannan will likely end up as captain during games on a far more regular basis than Palmer, who will be a good point of contact between the players and Pedersen at the club.

Sheffield Wednesday begin the League One campaign away to Leyton Orient on 15 August.

Liam Palmer captaincy decision is the right move for Sheffield Wednesday

Palmer stepped into the role of captain when Bannan was sold in January, and it would be unfair to take that away from him now.

He’s been a stalwart at the club for over 15 years, and having an academy graduate in the role should be a point of pride for the Owls.

Bannan is still likely to play as captain on the pitch on a regular basis next season given he is vice-captain, so it’s a reasonable decision from Pedersen.

The role is mostly ceremonial these days anyway, so there is no need to upset anyone in the dressing room over it.