Spotted: New Barry Bannan training leaks emerge at Sheffield Wednesday | OneFootball

Barry Bannan is closing in on a return to Sheffield Wednesday

Sheffield Wednesday are in the middle of rebuilding their first team squad as they prepare for life in League One.

The Owls are under new owners after Arise Capital completed their takeover of the Yorkshire outfit at the start of May.

The group led by David Storch will be hoping to turn things around at Hillsborough after the disastrous end to Dejphon Chansiri’s reign in charge.

David Bruce has been installed as CEO, while Simon Wilson is the new sporting director, who has already got to work in recruiting players to Henrik Pedersen’s side.

Signings such as Ricardo Santos, Callum Slattery and Jordi Liongola have already been confirmed.

Sil Swinkels and Harry Gray have also joined the team, with the latter arriving on loan from Leeds United.

Sheffield Wednesday training photos of Barry Bannan emerge

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Barry Bannan’s return to Sheffield Wednesday has been the subject of intense speculation since the end of the Championship season.

And it has now been revealed by Owls Extra on X that the midfielder has been spotted in first team training for the League One side, appearing in an inside training video posted by the club.

It’s been claimed that the 36-year-old is closing in on a move back to Hillsborough, just six months on from leaving for Millwall in the winter market.

It’s believed that he will move back to Sheffield Wednesday on a free transfer, returning to the club where he spent over 10 years and made more than 400 appearances.

While Bannan signed an 18-month deal with the Lions back in January, his return to Sheffield Wednesday is now just a matter of being confirmed by the club.

The Scot was a fan favourite during his first stint with the League One team, and he rose to the position of club captain prior to his exit earlier this year.

How Sheffield Wednesday fans feel about Barry Bannan in training

Sheffield Wednesday fans are excited by the prospect of Bannan returning to the club, in what will be a big boost for morale ahead of the new campaign.

The Owls have been urged to make light of his return being leaked through the training video, suggesting he should be training in the background of the new kit reveal.

Supporters are surprised an official announcement didn’t follow, as anticipation builds for confirmation of his return.

Meanwhile, others are just impressed with the design of the new training gear the players are wearing, which is another aspect of the club Arise Capital are looking to improve.

Sheffield Wednesday have until 1 September to conclude their remaining transfer business.

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Barry Bannan’s return is massively exciting for Sheffield Wednesday fans

Bannan showed last season that even at 36 he still has a lot to contribute to a Championship level team, so his return will be a boost to the side on the pitch.

But more importantly, his return also signifies a return to a better time for the Owls, who are building a lot of goodwill and momentum under these new owners.

Bannan cemented himself as a modern club legend in his first stint in the side, so losing him was a real marker of how low things had gotten.

It’s no surprise there’s a lot of anticipation surrounding his return, as it will be an extremely feel good moment once it is confirmed.