Sheffield Wednesday: 'It is a big honour for me to captain this massive club' - Barry Bannan on leading the Owls into battle

Bannan has thrived on the responsibility of skippering the team in the last four Championship matches, with Tom Lees still recovering from a hamstring problem.

The Scot pulled the strings in Saturday's comprehensive 4-1 triumph at Middlesbrough and provided two assists from set-pieces to maintain Wednesday's good start to life under boss Garry Monk.

Bannan, who has clocked up over 150 appearances since joining the Owls on a free transfer in August 2015, said: "I am enjoying my time at the moment.

"I am creating goals and captaining the team in the absence of Tom Lees. It is a big honour for me and I am really enjoying my football."

On the captaincy role, he joked: "It is alright when you are winning! It will be different when we are losing!

"It is a massive, massive club so to captain it is brilliant. You go out there with that added confidence that you are captaining a massive club.

"You have to help others through the game and lead by example and I think I have done alright."

Wednesday strolled to a third straight win away from Hillsborough in all competitions after scoring four first half goals at the Riverside.

Boro's Adam Clayton headed into his own net before defender Dominic Iorfa nodded in Bannan's free-kick to make it 2-0.

Paddy McNair's half-volley reduced the hosts arrears but Adam Reach and in-form striker Steven Fletcher then registered to lift the Owls up to seventh.

Bannan told The Star: "I think a lot of people will see the result and it will not surprise them but they will take a good look at it and think 'wow.'

"We have got to send a statement this week. We have got three games and it is a great chance to stamp our authority in this league. We have started off well by putting four past Middlesbrough."

Only three points separate the Owls from Championship leaders West Bromwich Albion.

"We will just concentrate on ourselves and not worry about anyone else," stressed Bannan.

"We are quietly confident and we know what we have got in that changing room and we have been saying that in the last couple of years but it is just about bringing it to the table and at the minute we are doing it."