New Barry Bannan, Henrik Pedersen footage should excite Sheffield Wednesday fans | OneFootball

There's been mounting excitement that the former legend could be heading back to Hillsborough, and new video footage released will only heighten it.

There has been increasing speculation that former Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan could be returning to Hillsborough this summer, and newly-released video footage may only heighten fan excitement that it's set to happen.

Of all the indignities suffered by Owls fans over the course of the 2025-26 season, possibly the one that cut the deepest was losing Bannan to Millwall during the January transfer window.

Over more than a decade, Bannan had become far more than just another player, or even just another captain, for the club. But with Wednesday having been in administration since October 2025, the club needed funds to be able to keep trading and Bannan's departure was one way of ensuring that they could keep playing until their financial rescue was finalised.

But since the end of last season, and with Sheffield Wednesday now under new ownership, there has been growing speculation that the former captain could return to Hillsborough, and fresh video footage released over the weekend will only further fuel the belief that his return could be imminent.

New video footage shows Barry Bannan & Henrik Pedersen together

Action Images

Freelance journalist George Smith has posted some video footage to the social media platform X which has only fuelled the speculation concerning Bannan's potential return to Hillsborough still further.

The short video shows Bannan embracing club manager Henrik Pedersen on a balcony at The Park pub in Hillsborough on Sunday. Bannan was back in Sheffield for the unveiling of a mural dedicated to him.

The release of this video hasn't been Smith's only contribution to the developing story of Bannan's potential return to Sheffield Wednesday. In a separate X post on the same day, he confirmed that the former captain is "edging closer" to an emotional Hillsborough return, concluding that agreement for his return could be confirmed by the end of this week.

What Sheffield Wednesday fans are saying about a potential Barry Bannan return to Hillsborough

The mood around Owls fans when it comes to a potential Barry Bannan return is pretty clear.

Another Wednesday supporter believes that Bannan is already 'home' in S6 despite nothing being signed or sealed yet.

Another is very much convinced that Pedersen and Bannan's embrace only means one thing.

And many believe that the I's are being dotted and the T's crossed whilst Bannan was in Sheffield at the weekend in regards to his proposed return to Hillsborough.

Age may be a concern, but Barry Bannan's Sheffield Wednesday return may be about more than just playing

That Barry Bannan was in Sheffield for the unveiling of a mural dedicated to him speaks volumes about his importance to the recent history of Sheffield Wednesday in itself, but the matter of his relevance to the present or the future of the club is a different question.

Bannan is now 36 years of age and will turn 37 before the end of 2026, and his second half of the 2025-26 season with Millwall was not especially successful, with no goals and only one assist from 16 appearances from what was ultimately an unsuccessful bid from the London club to win a place in the Premier League.

But Bannan's performances for Wednesday throughout the first half of last season didn't raise any questions about his ability to deliver on the pitch, and he will be dropping a division again as a result of the club's relegation. Millwall are understood to be amenable to him leabing the club.

Furthermore, Millwall had no qualms about using him at the very top end of the Championship. He was introduced as a second half substitute in both legs of their play-off semi-final defeat to Hull City.

And in addition to this, returning to the club could be the beginning of the transition towards his post-playing career. Bannan has spoken before about it being his "dream" to one day manage the club, and returning now could be a significant step on the pathway towards realising that ambition.

The very nature of Barry Bannan's history with Sheffield Wednesday means that any return to Hillsborough will be an emotional one, and the biggest question facing the club as they undertake talks with him will centre around whether his return would be good for the club's head as well as its heart.