How Josh Windass gave Barry Bannan the best moment of his life at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Barry Bannan claimed that he had the best moment of his life during his first spell at Sheffield Wednesday, and it was all thanks to Josh Windass.

With Sheffield Wednesday now back in League One, they will be hoping to emulate some of their previous success at third tier level.

Wednesday were relegated from the Championship last season following a nightmare campaign that saw them spend over six months in administration and have a total of 18 points deducted, but a new era is underway at Hillsborough following David Storch's takeover.

Having rebuilt their squad over the summer, the Owls look in a strong position to challenge at the top of League One this season, and they will still have fond memories of their most recent stint in the division, with their promotion inspired by Barry Bannan and Josh Windass.

Barry Bannan and Josh Windass formed special bond at Sheffield Wednesday

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Bannan joined Wednesday on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015 at the start of former owner Dejphon Chansiri's tenure, and he came agonisingly close to helping the club achieve promotion to the Premier League, suffering back-to-back play-off defeats in his first two seasons at Hillsborough.

However, the second of those play-off losses marked the start of a decline for the Owls, who were in a very different place when Windass arrived in January 2020, initially on loan from Wigan Athletic before making the move permanent six months later.

After a gradual slide down the table over the previous few years, Wednesday were relegated to League One in the 2020-21 season, with their demise accelerated by a six-point deduction for financial breaches, but Bannan and Windass both remained loyal to the South Yorkshire outfit in the third tier.

While eyebrows were raised by the fact that Bannan and Windass were willing to play in League One, the pair's bold decision was certainly rewarded, and they struck up an incredibly strong connection both on and off the field.

Sheffield Wednesday achieved unforgettable League One promotion after historic comeback

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After losing to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals in their first season in League One, Wednesday were determined to secure a return to the Championship at the second attempt.

However, despite accumulating an incredible total of 96 points, the Owls somehow missed out on automatic promotion in the 2022-23 season, with Plymouth Argyle and Ipswich Town sealing their places in the top two with 101 and 98-point hauls respectively.

Wednesday still had the opportunity to seal promotion through the play-offs, but it looked as though their dreams had come crashing down after a 4-0 first leg hammering at Peterborough United, and, in truth, the margin of Posh's victory could have been even greater.

Few gave the Owls a chance of overturning that deficit, but Darren Moore's men then staged the most remarkable comeback in play-off history, with goals from Michael Smith, Lee Gregory and Reece James getting them back in the tie before Liam Palmer's 98th-minute equaliser sent the game to extra time, sparking wild scenes of celebration at Hillsborough.

Peterborough restored their aggregate lead in extra time thanks to Gregory's own goal, but Wednesday responded quickly, with Callum Paterson's strike ensuring the game would go to penalties, and the hosts won the shootout to book their place in the final at Wembley, where they faced local rivals Barnsley.

Despite being reduced to 10 men in the second half following Adam Phillips' red card, Barnsley were the more dangerous side throughout, but just as it looked as though spot-kicks would be needed, Josh Windass' 123rd-minute header secured promotion for the Owls.

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Having chosen to stay with the club in League One, Bannan made it his mission to lead Wednesday back to the Championship.

Brentford were said to have made an offer for Bannan in the summer of 2020, and there is no doubt that the Scot would have had plenty of offers to remain in the second tier after the Owls' relegation, so his loyalty was certainly admirable, particularly given the increasing off-field issues under Chansiri's ownership.

Bannan later revealed that his wages halved after Wednesday's relegation, and while his salary would still have been substantial, it underlined both the personal and financial sacrifice he was making for a club he had developed a deep affinity with.

With the game locked at 0-0, the Owls were facing the prospect of a penalty shootout against Barnsley that could have condemned them to another year in League One, and there would have been significant regret that they were unable to make their numerical advantage count by finding a winner.

After being substituted in the closing stages of extra time, Bannan was forced to watch the final moments from the bench, but Windass' last-gasp intervention spared Wednesday's blushes and helped Bannan achieve his goal of captaining the club to promotion.

Bannan lifted the trophy under the famous Wembley arch alongside long-serving Owls defender Liam Palmer, and, in an emotional post-match interview, he described the occasion as "the best moment of my life".

After a brief six-month spell at Millwall, Bannan returned to Hillsborough this summer, and he will be hoping to make some more special memories in League One this season, but it is unlikely that anything will come close to the euphoria of Windass' iconic goal three years ago.