New boys told to brace themselves as Sheffield Wednesday look to continue star billing

Owls captain Barry Bannan spoke glowingly on the impact the club’s fanbase had on his team’s fortunes last season, with their last Hillsborough outing in the play-off semi-final win over Peterborough United now dubbed ‘The Hillsborough Miracle’.

Six new faces have been added to the squad since then - with Reece James’ return taking the summer’s transfer tally to seven - as Wednesday play host to the curtian-raising match for the entire EFL campaign when they welcome Southampton to S6 on Friday.

Bannan is looking forward to the ‘eyes on us’ nature of the game and the atmosphere he is expecting.

The Scot told The Star: “We’re looking forward to it, first game of the season under the lights at Hillsborough with a packed crowd, it’s what dreams are made of.

“There’s no better place when the place is packed and the lights are on. I’m sure the new boys, if they didn’t already know, I’m sure they’ll see it on Friday night and be taken aback by it as every new player that has come here has been.

“We know the fans are going to come out and give it their all and it’s upto us to give them a performance that they’re proud of.”

Wednesday are one of several Championship clubs continuing into a busy few weeks of transfer activity as they look to give their squad the best possible chance of success this summer.

Southampton are a side in a similar situation, with big-name players such as Romeo Lavia and James Ward-Prowse at the centre of protracted transfer negotiations with Premier League clubs.

So is now a good time to play the Saints?

“I don’t think so. No matter who it is, it’s the first game of the season and a lot of teams will find themselves in the same boat.

“It’s not going to settle down until the transfer window closes and people know who they going to have and who they’re not going to have, so the next few weeks is going to be hectic with teams trying to find their best eleven and players coming and going.

“It will take a while to settle. Is it a good time to play them? Probably not. They’ve got one of the best squads in the league as it stands and when the window closes they probably will do as well. It’s going to be a tough task no matter what.

“But it’s a task that we relish. We know if we turn up and do what we know we can do, we’re more than capable of getting a positive result for the club.”