How Barry Bannan has reacted to big Sheffield Wednesday, Dejphon Chansiri update | OneFootball

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan gives his thoughts on the club going into administration

Sheffield Wednesday skipper Barry Bannan believes that the club going into administration "needed to happen."

Following the news on Friday morning that Sheffield Wednesday had filed for administration, there has been very much mixed emotions between all involved at Hillsborough, with, on the one hand, supporters delighted that the Dejphon Chansiri era has come to a sad but by no means sorry end, and on the other the realisation of the 12-point deduction that the club have to endure has made their season even more difficult than it already was.

With plenty of EFL fans as well as people close to Sheffield Wednesday having their say, there are very few that are more important than club captain Barry Bannan, who is in his 11th season at the club. The Scotsman, who is adored by all at Wednesday, joined the club in the 2015/16 season and has since become a living legend for the Owls, having made 460 competitive appearances for the club to this point.

Banny spoke to BBC Sheffield in a press conference to have his say on the club going into administration and how he himself reacted to the news.

With brighter days ahead for the Owls, Bannan firstly shared his sadness at this current moment in time, but looking forward, said that "this needed to happen."

Barry Bannan "gutted" for Sheffield Wednesday over their current situation

For a footballer like Bannan who has given his services to the Blue part of the Steel City for so long, the respect he has earned from fans, teammates, and even rivals over the course of his career due to his loyalty has made him a true leader that Wednesday are thankful to have in their ranks.

With that, however, comes media duties. And with Bannan very much being in the spotlight throughout this seemingly never-ending saga, he spoke to BBC Sheffield and began by saying: "It was hard news to take, but this needed to happen. We couldn't keep going on the way we were going on. So I was a bit upset at first because the task becomes bigger, but I think for the club going forward it's probably the right thing that's happened."

Bannan continued: "I've been gutted. When you sign for this club you find straight away that it's a massive club in this city. A really well-supported club and the last few months when we've been playing in games at home, it's not felt like that club."

With boycotts being a key point of protest from the Wednesday fans in the early stages of this season, the lack of support has certainly translated into lackluster performances on the pitch, as reflected by their current league position.

However, Bannan was quick to issue his praise for the club as he said: "Sometimes you have to reach rock bottom to come back again, and if there's ever a club that can do it then it's this club because the fanbase we've got is amazing."

Barry Bannan believes that there are brighter days ahead for Sheffield Wednesday

When asked whether Wednesday can still have a bright future, while achieving that feat seems a long way away from where the club is now, Bannan was full of positivity despite the current dark cloud looming over their heads. The midfielder picked up on giving kudos to all the hard-working people at the club who don't get the praise they deserve for keeping the club on its feet over the recent Chanisiri era.

Bannan said: "I do, yeah. Obviously, it's a big decision now who comes in and who buys it, but there's a lot of good people here who have worked here for years in the background who go unnoticed, which every good club needs, and we've got that in abundance here. The fanbase is amazing, it just needs a bit of loving."

In terms of gaining new ownership, Bannan believes that Wednesday need an owner who will come in and buy the club for the right reasons. If that is to be the case, then an upward trajectory not just in-form on the pitch will ensue, but bringing the smile back on their supporters' faces and giving them hope in their beloved club is what Wednesday needs the most.

Bannan said: "This city is an amazing city for rivalry. The two teams in the city are very passionate, hard-working, and they love their football teams, and will go above and beyond to support their football teams. You only need to look at the coverage we've been getting recently... It's a sleeping giant."