Why Millwall have signed Barry Bannan from Sheffield Wednesday - it's been revealed | OneFootball

Bannan has completed an 18-month deal with the promotion-chasing Lions

After a lengthy period of speculation, Millwall FC confirmed the signing of experienced playmaker, Barry Bannan, from Championship rivals Sheffield Wednesday with five days of the winter transfer window remaining.

It has been well-documented how much of a cult figure the 36-year-old Scot has become at Hillsborough, having been a constant link throughout a chaotic and turbulent near -11-year period in the Owls' history after signing on a free transfer from Crystal Palace in the summer of 2015.

However, Bannan will now return to South London as Alex Neil attempts to be the first Lions manager since 1990 to lead the club into a top-flight campaign, having been relegated from the old First Division after only two previous years at the elite level of English football in their entire history.

It is a stark contrast from the predicament which the former Wednesday captain, his teammates, head coach Henrik Pedersen and the long-suffering supporters had become used to at Hillsborough throughout the past 12 months.

The Steel City side are braced for a return to League One after three years away as they currently find themselves stuck on minus seven points after 28 games played, having been docked a total of 18 points throughout the campaign, initially for entering administration in late October before being found guilty of further financial breaches on December 1st.

It is hardly the end to his 477-game spell which Bannan would have initially envisaged, with the Owls still stuck in limbo regarding a potential takeover from professional poker player, James Bord, and his consortium after being named as Begbies Traynor's preferred bidder on Christmas Eve.

However, it became common knowledge across the weekend's Championship action that an exit from S6 was looming, with Bannan moved to tears as he was initially substituted in the 2-0 defeat at Bristol City, before being serenaded by the travelling Wednesdayites at Ashton Gate after the full-time whistle.

For the first time in over a decade, the 27-time Tartan Army international is preparing to get stuck into a new challenge, with Millwall currently fifth in the second tier table, just seven points behind the automatic promotion places.

Despite his aforementioned age, Championship onlookers are still well aware of the technical quality still showcased by Bannan's left foot, and that was certainly one of the reasons which attracted his compatriot, Neil, and the Lions' director of football, Steve Gallen, towards his services.

Millwall FC chiefs explain why Barry Bannan was signed from Sheffield Wednesday

Although Wednesday's struggles and limitations when it comes to squad depth, quality and the transfer market have been well-documented, that hasn't stopped Bannan from being as influential as ever both on and off the pitch.

In 28 Championship appearances so far this term, the Airdrie-born playmaker has scored three times and provided three assists, which includes spectacular strikes against Portsmouth and Norwich City.

He will now gear up for an 18-month spell in SE16, joining a midfield which already includes the likes of Casper De Norre, Billy Mitchell, Will Smallbone and Massimo Luongo.

As such, the aforementioned Gallen explained the key reasons behind the transfer.

told the club website.

"He's a player that myself, Alex [Neil] and football fans all over the country have admired for many years. He has been an outstanding player for Sheffield Wednesday and one of the best players in The Championship for a number of years.

"He is bright, sharp, intelligent and has great awareness. One of the things I like about him the most is his adaptability; he can play in a number of positions, something that Alex and I have spoken about on a number of occasions," Gallen stated.

"He also brings big-game experience, which will hopefully help us between now and the end of the season. I'm delighted to bring a very good football player into the club."

Neil has also outlined his initial thoughts on the deal by saying: “Barry Bannan, over the last decade, has been one of the iconic players in the Championship in terms of what he’s done for Sheffield Wednesday.

“He’s coming to our team, which is going to be a different experience for him," he added.

“It’ll be a little bit different in terms of what his role might be for our team and what we would ask of him. But there’s no doubt he’s a quality player.”

Barry Bannan signing adds an extra layer of spice to Millwall's next Championship fixture

It will certainly take everyone some getting used to when it comes to seeing Bannan in a non-Wednesday kit on matchdays, but it is clear that his technical ability and leadership will be vital in Millwall's quest for glory.

Ironically, the timing of his signing will add an extra layer of intrigue to the Lions' upcoming fixture against Sheffield United at The Den, with Blades fans previously seeing the Scot as 'public enemy number one' on the field across several Steel City derbies.

It remains to be seen how much of the match Bannan will play on Saturday, but this could certainly prove to be one of the signings of the season going forward, with the versatile figure featuring in over 400 previous Championship games.