Alex Neil has admitted that he considered leaving Barry Bannan out of Millwall’s starting lineup on Saturday afternoon when they traveled to Hillsborough to face the midfielder’s beloved Sheffield Wednesday.

The Scottish ace ended his 10-and-a-half-year connection with the Owls in the January transfer window, waving farewell to a club for which he made 477 appearances as they face relegation to League One after an extraordinarily difficult season.

Sheffield Wednesday could be relegated before they face fierce rivals Sheffield United at Bramall Lane next Sunday, as their relegation rivals are in action the day before.

However, there is also the prospect that the Blades may strike the ultimate blow in what has been a very tough few months.

Nonetheless, in Millwall’s 2-1 victory, Bannan had the opportunity to say farewell to a club he considers very dear. However, if Neil had followed his heart rather than his mind, he might not have gotten that chance.

Alex Neil tells how close Barry Bannan came to not starting for Millwall against Sheffield Wednesday.

Sheffield Wednesday opened the scoring at Hillsborough on Saturday, with Jamal Lowe finding the back of the net to end his side’s nine-game goal drought, dating back to Boxing Day against Hull City in the Championship.

However, they were unable to keep out the visitors, who won 2-1. However, Millwall did not have Bannan on the pitch when they scored their goals, and Neil admitted that he considered not starting the midfielder upon his return to the Owls.Neil, as reported by The Star, stated, “I had a good conversation with him about playing in the game and how he felt about it. I considered dropping him out, but he’s a professional.”Everyone is an expert after the game, right? If he has a great game and scores two goals, everyone will say, ‘That’s why we signed him. “He’s the captain of the team and is brilliant.”If he has a poorer game, it’s ‘Maybe it damaged him coming back to Sheffield Wednesday’. “So the narratives are already written before the game, right?”But I am a professional, and so is Barry. He came here and donated everything he had. He’ll be very essential to us between now and the end of the season.”

After the game, Barry Bannan, a modern-day Sheffield Wednesday legend, took time to applaud the fans.

His impact on the club is undeniable, as evidenced by those in the stands who applauded him once more.

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He renewed his contract with the Owls in the summer, despite the club’s apparent impending administration and relegation, before reluctantly deciding to depart in the January transfer window for a fresh start with greater stability.

The 36-year-old has found that at Millwall, and his chase of a return to the Premier League is well on, with the Lions in a strong position to compete for an automatic promotion slot.

Bannan will want to add goals and assists to his game in the coming weeks as he settles in at The Den, as Sheffield Wednesday prepare for relegation.