'I'm out to prove...' - Barry Bannan sets out his personal League One aim
Barry Bannan is back at Sheffield Wednesday
Barry Bannan is ‘out to prove’ he is the best player in League One this season.
The 36-year-old is back at Sheffield Wednesday, where he spent 10 years, after six months at Millwall from January. The Scot has explained that he never really wanted to leave and always hoped he would be back at Hillsborough sooner rather than later. Since returning, the midfielder says his ‘mood’ has changed and that it is ‘amazing’ to be wearing blue and white stripes again.
While he was at Millwall, ‘Baz’ followed events at Wednesday closely, saying the support from the fans was ‘unbelievable’ during a really tough period. Although he has only been away for a short time, there is a ‘massive difference’ following the takeover from David Storch and Arise. Subtle improvements around the training ground and stadium have give everyone a lift, while standards on the pitch are on the rise as new players arrive to boost the ranks.
During Bannan’s 10 years at the club, Wednesday never really sold players under former owner Dejphon Chansiri despite receiving bids that should have been accepted and might have prevented the financial problems they suffered. So far, recruitment has seen a mix of youth and experience come in and Bannan believes it is important that they have some assets they can develop, enjoy success with and sell for profit.
Many pundits would regard Bannan as one of the best players in the Championship over the years, never mind League One, but he has fire in his belly to keep reminding people that he is not done yet.
“I've always had question marks my whole career,” he told BBC Radio Sheffield. “You can never settle as a player because that's when you tend to to get caught and people start to take your position, so I'm not naive enough to think that because of what I've done here in the past, it'll make it easy for me this year.
“I'm out to prove that I'm still one of the best players in this league, and I'll do that till the day I finish. And once I'm not the best player, and don't feel as if I'm I'm giving anything, then I know that's my time. But I feel as if I've got a lot to give still as a player at this football club, and I'm out to prove this season that I want to be the best player in League One.”