Barry Bannan turned down offers from major Championship clubs like Middlesbrough and Millwall worth three times his current wage to stay with Sheffield Wednesday this summer.
The 35-year-old is a Hillsborough legend, and despite his contract expiring in June, there was practically no question he would stay a Wednesday player, even though the club’s future was uncertain at the moment.
Bannan returned to pre-season training this summer, despite not being under contract at the time, and signed a new contract with the club little over a week before the 2025/26 season began.
This was despite a slew of his teammates leaving the club that summer owing to several late wage payments, seeking greener pastures away from Hillsborough, and, according to The Times, Bannan was also offered a lucrative deal elsewhere, including Middlesbrough and Millwall.
However, the Wednesday legend turned them down, underlining his dedication to the club.
How much Barry Bannan turned down each week from Middlesbrough and Millwall to stay at Sheffield Wednesday?
Barry Bannan turned down offers from major Championship clubs like Middlesbrough and Millwall worth three times his current wage to stay with Sheffield Wednesday this summer.
The 35-year-old is a Hillsborough legend, and despite his contract expiring in June, there was practically no question he would stay a Wednesday player, even though the club’s future was uncertain at the moment.
Bannan returned to pre-season training this summer, despite not being under contract at the time, and signed a new contract with the club little over a week before the 2025/26 season began.
This was despite a slew of his teammates leaving the club that summer owing to several late wage payments, seeking greener pastures away from Hillsborough, and, according to The Times, Bannan was also offered a lucrative deal elsewhere, including Middlesbrough and Millwall.
However, the Wednesday legend turned them down, underlining his dedication to the club.
How much Barry Bannan turned down each week from Middlesbrough and Millwall to stay at Sheffield Wednesday?
Barry Bannan is perhaps the biggest cult hero at Sheffield Wednesday, and recent rumors will only add to that sentiment.
The Owls captain has stuck through Wednesday through the highs and more frequent lows that the club has had over the previous decade, from Championship play-off finals to years in League One and then near liquidation in more recent times.
Bannan’s new contract announcement came only days after the club’s pay were delayed for the fourth time in five months. The players refused to play their final pre-season friendly against Burnley, and there were questions about their commitment to the Championship opener against Leicester City.
Nobody would have expected the captain to leave with the rest of the Wednesday squad after what he had done for the club, but Bannan stayed, and his retention was a rare bright spot in what was a dismal period for the Owls.
Wednesday may still play in League One next season, but they’ll go down fighting, with their loyal captain by their side.
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