Sheffield Wednesday v West Brom: 'Red Adair' Barry Bannan on fronting up and inspiration from Celtic and Aston Villa great

As night follows day, his pre-match dealings with the media in his capacity as Sheffield Wednesday captain have one uniform trait.

They are invariably timed at points in the season when his beloved Owls are in a touch of strife and/or the tension is palpable.

Twelve months ago for instance, he went into bat ahead of a home game with Sunderland amid an autumn storm at Hillsborough and a lousy run of form.

In the Owls’ previous match there, tennis balls had been thrown onto the pitch by disgruntled fans in protest at chairman Dejphon Chansiri, with a black balloon protest planned for the Wearsiders’ visit.

Typically, Bannan was also the one to face the music after a bitter play-off elimination to the same opponents at S6 in May 2022.

And so it came earlier this week that on the back of some hard results - and a couple of rough calls - the talismanic figure fronted up ahead of today’s game against leaders West Brom.

Hardly the ideal opponents to face following a winless league streak stretching back to the opening weekend’s win over Plymouth Argyle on August 11.

Wednesday’s leader, as he does and will continue to do, did what was necessary.

In fairness, as difficult times go at Hillsborough, this current period seems a comparative picnic to several that Bannan has witnessed in his near-decade of service at the club – and fielded questions about.

He said: "This season, things are going against us, which probably on another day (time) wouldn’t have done. It’s not knocked our confidence, as bad as that sounds.

"We are one result away from everything changing and what better to do it than on Saturday against a team who are high-flying at the top of the league.

"Everything around at the club, going on in the background, is (now) stable and in a really good place.

"It’s just the results, which haven’t been what we wanted. But it’s completely different to last season when we weren’t really performing in games and just there to be shot at, on the pitch.”

A serious player for a good few years, Bannan takes his responsibilities as captain of one of English football’s historic names equally seriously.

He counts himself as fortunate to have learnt from someone among the very best in that regard in former Celtic and Aston Villa favourite Stiliyan Petrov.

Bannan, an avid Hoops fan who idolised the Bulgarian as a youngster in his time at Parkhead, garnered plenty from rubbing shoulders with his hero at Villa Park.

And not just in terms of midfield craft either.

Bannan added: “Stiliyan was captain for a large part of my time there (at Villa) and was amazing.

"He’d ‘dig’ people out, but you’d also know, as a player, that you could go to him with anything as well - if you had any problems in your life outside football.

"You could share it with him and he would help you with this side of it.

"On the pitch, he was a winner. He wasn’t the nicest player to play with on the pitch because he was hammering me with what he demanded and standards. If you fell below them, you would know.

"That’s the kind of way I have tried to be. Even if I am not performing personally, you still need to demand those standards as that’s your job as captain.

"You need to get the standards from everyone, even if I am falling below it. I will try and drag the other ones, so they keep theirs.

"Watching him was big for me and it’s something I have tried to carry throughout my career."

Bannan’s demanding nature with his team-mates, not just on a match-day, but throughout the working week, continues to be driven by one simple thing.

Namely, his deep competitive instinct and hatred of losing.

If that ever dimmed, it would probably represent the time for him to hang his boots, in truth. Not that it will.

The Scot, who turns 35 at the start of December, continued: "Obviously, I have got kids and you need to kind of put a ‘face’ on when you get back home.

"But normally, they are in bed when I get back if we have lost.

"So I just go into the spare room and don’t speak to my wife until the next morning.

"My mum and dad know and they won’t text me after a defeat until maybe Sunday or Monday.

"It’s just well known by people who are close to me to leave me alone for a bit once we suffer a defeat. It’s something I have carried in my life.

"Whether it’s playing pool, football or a five-a-side in training, I hate losing and it’s something that will never change.

"I don’t think anyone likes losing, but maybe I am extreme in the way I act. But it’s what I have known since I have grown up.”

Bannan will continue to hate losing and carry on being the team’s voice in times of trouble for a fair while yet, rest assured.