Man Utd star once named the 3 world class players Sheffield Wednesday star Barry Bannan reminds him of | OneFootball

Darren Fletcher was full of praise for Barry Bannan years before he ever signed for Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday star Barry Bannan received a lot of praise when he first came through senior football at Aston Villa.

The Scot was a part of the Celtic academy system before making the switch to the Midlands outfit in 2004 at the age of just 14.

The midfielder had loan spells with Derby County, Blackpool and Leeds United before making his Premier League debut for Villa in August 2010.

After making more than 60 appearances for the club, he signed for Crystal Palace, where he spent two years before arriving at Sheffield Wednesday.

Darren Fletcher’s Barry Bannan comparisons

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But before he signed for the Owls in 2015, he made quite the splash in the Premier League with Villa.

The now 36-year-old caught the attention of Darren Fletcher, who compared him to some of the greats in the game at the time, including Xavi and Iniesta.

Speaking in 2010, ahead of an upcoming Scotland clash against the Faroe Islands, he said, via the Guardian: “Barry is in the mould of the best midfielders in the world, isn't he, at that size? I'm talking about Xavi, Iniesta and Paul Scholes.

"He has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water."

Fletcher was also in attendance when his compatriot scored a hat-trick for the Aston Villa reserves against the Manchester United reserves before his breakout into senior football.

And while it ultimately didn’t work out for Bannan at Villa, there was no denying his talent and technical skill, even in the very early stages of his development as a professional footballer.

Bannan went on to earn 27 senior caps for Scotland during his international career.

Barry Bannan’s move to Sheffield Wednesday

Bannan made 15 appearances for Palace in 2013/14, having joined the club in the final hours of the summer market.

It was the Eagles’ first year back in the top flight, and the midfielder played a role in ensuring the London outfit survived with an 11th place finish.

But he played just seven more times in the league for the club before going out on loan to Bolton Wanderers.

And by the summer of 2015, he had signed for Sheffield Wednesday, who were now under the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

Barry Bannan becomes a Sheffield Wednesday club legend

Bannan’s first two seasons at Sheffield Wednesday were quite impressive, with Carlos Carvalhal’s side reaching the play-offs on both occasions, including the 2016 final.

And while the Yorkshire outfit were unable to earn promotion to the Premier League, it was clear that the midfielder was carving out a strong relationship with supporters.

He contributed three goals and nine assists from 78 appearances in those two campaigns, proving instrumental to the side’s success.

Bannan was a consistent presence at Hillsborough through the next several years, including their fall to League One, and remarkable rise back to the Championship.

The 36-year-old’s stint at Sheffield Wednesday came to an anti-climactic end in 2026 when the club’s financial issues led to him signing for Millwall after making 470 appearances.

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Barry Bannan can lead Sheffield Wednesday back to glory

But that wasn’t the end of Bannan’s story with Sheffield Wednesday, as he returned to Hillsborough in the 2026 summer transfer window.

While he may not have reached the same heights as Xavi, Iniesta or Paul Scholes, he has the chance to achieve something uniquely special.

Henrik Pedersen’s side will be targeting promotion back to the Championship as quickly as possible under new owners Arise Capital.

And Bannan will be key to the team’s hopes of a top six finish in 2026/27, as they target promotion at the first attempt.