Exclusive: Lee Hendrie drops 'massive' Sheffield Wednesday, Barry Bannan claim | OneFootball

The Wednesday captain was one of a handful of senior players who remained at Hillsborough this summer

EFL pundit Lee Hendrie felt that it was "massive" for Sheffield Wednesday to keep hold of Barry Bannan this summer, amidst the tumultuous few months surrounding the football club.

Due to the delay of wage payments for three successive months, a whole host of senior players walked out on their contracts this summer following the breach, leaving Henrik Pedersen with a threadbare squad ahead of a tough Championship campaign.

However, through all of that uncertainty, there was almost no doubt about where Bannan was going to be playing his football.

Despite being out of contract at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, the 35-year-old captain remained committed to the club he has spent the last 10 years at, reporting back to training over the summer despite not being contracted.

Bannan finally put pen to paper on a new deal in August and has since crossed 450 appearances for the Owls. Former Aston Villa midfielder Lee Hendrie believes that his retention was incredibly important for the club and stood out as one of the few positives in an otherwise horrid few months.

Lee Hendrie gives his verdict on Barry Bannan, Sheffield Wednesday retention

During a summer where a plethora of senior players departed with little to no signs of replacing them, keeping their veteran captain was a rare win for Sheffield Wednesday.

Lee Hendrie echoed this sentiment, saying in an exclusive interview with Football League World: "It was massive to keep hold of Barry Bannan.

"His leadership skills as captain, he's been there for some time, so they needed to keep hold of him, even if he's getting to that fine age where he's coming towards the back end of his career."

Bannan has been an ever-present in the Wednesday side ever since he made the switch from Crystal Palace in 2015, playing over 40 league games in eight of his nine full seasons at Hillsborough, the majority of which took place as captain.

Keeping the 35-year-old was arguably more important than the retention of anyone else, as he's been instrumental to the way Sheffield Wednesday plays, and has the experience to bestow upon the number of youth players who will be thrown in at the deep end this season.

"He's so integral to the way they play, and he brings an awful lot to that football side, particularly given the situation they're in," said Hendrie.

"So keeping him was 100% crucial, especially with the way the club is at the moment."

Barry Bannan's loyalty makes him a cult-hero among Sheffield Wednesday fans

If Bannan wasn't already beloved by Wednesday fans, his actions and loyalty during this stage of crisis affirm this.

The 35-year-old has ridden through the good times at the start of Dejphon Chansiri's reign, when the club made back-to-back Championship play-off campaigns, endured relegation and a few seasons in League One, and now, with the club on the brink of collapse, was happy to reject other offers to remain at Hillsborough.

No matter the state Sheffield Wednesday are in, they'll confide in the fact that their captain will be sticking with them throughout it all. Plus, despite being in his mid-thirties, he still possesses the quality that will give the Owls a fighting chance in some games this season.

There isn't much to smile about at Sheffield Wednesday currently, but the loyalty of Bannan will be something that Owls fans truly appreciate at this time.