Exclusive:'Will be magnificent' - Mel Sterland makes exciting Sheffield Wednesday prediction after Barry Bannan return
Sheffield Wednesday legend Mel Sterland has made a prediction following Barry Bannan’s Hillsborough return
Sheffield Wednesday legend Mel Sterland has tipped Barry Bannan to get the Owls “ticking again”.
Bannan left Hillsborough in January, departing for Millwall after racking up 477 appearances across over a decade of service.
He made 16 appearances for the Lions, who reached the semi-final stage of the Championship play-offs before losing to Hull City.
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Wednesday were relegated to League One in Bannan’s absence but were taken over by Arise Capital Partners, who are ushering in a new era in S6.
Bannan has sealed a return to Hillsborough and will be looking to secure the second League One promotion of his career next term.
Mel Sterland’s Barry Bannan prediction
Sterland, who represented Wednesday from 1978 until 1989, believes Bannan will be “magnificent” in League One.
He told The Yorkshire Post: “He never told me he was going to come back, I think he had to keep it all hush hush.
“He went down to Millwall, had a chance to play in Premier League. Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance. He didn't play in the Premier League.
“He's come back to Sheffield Wednesday, he will get Sheffield Wednesday ticking again. At this level of football, Bannan will be magnificent, as well as [Liam] Cooper. The rest of the players that they’ve fetched in, I don't know them all, but I know there'll be a lot more that'll be coming in.”
Barry Bannan’s return
A string-pulling midfielder, Bannan showed his class on a regular basis during Wednesday’s last stint in the third tier.
He will turn 37 before the 2026/27 campaign ends, but will be hoping to replicate the form that helped the Owls reach the Championship in 2023.
After completing his emotional return to South Yorkshire, the veteran said: “I always had it in my mind I would be coming back to Wednesday in some capacity so to get this done now is brilliant. There’s a lot of optimism and excitement around the place – we are on the up.
“We know what this season requires – a lot of hard work and togetherness with everyone fighting for each other, everyone on the same page. Obviously, I know everyone from last season and the new lads already seem at home, so there’s a lot to look forward to and I’m just so pleased to be back part of it.”