Sheffield Wednesday to seek out intriguing 'third captain' with skipper decision confirmed
A new leadership unit is being sought out at Sheffield Wednesday - with its club captain confirmed beyond any lingering doubt.
Record-chasing Sheffield Wednesday stalwart Liam Palmer has been confirmed as the club’s captain heading into the new campaign as manager Henrik Pedersen seeks to build a new leadership team at changing room level.
The versatile Owls icon is second on the club’s list of all-time appearance makers and took on the armband in January following Barry Bannan’s emotional switch to Millwall. The Scot’s return sparked some discussion within the fanbase as to whether he would resume the captaincy he had held since 2020, though as previously reported by The Star, it was always expected that Palmer would retain the armband having steered the club through a brutally difficult few months.
Speaking to The Star, Pedersen went into some detail with regard to the implementation of a new leadership set-up. As expected, Bannan will take on the vice-captaincy. But intriguingly, the Wednesday boss confirmed that a third captain will be announced in due course alongside a more defined senior player’s group - which could involve a younger player to ensure the interests and views of the entire squad are heard.
“We made that decision early, that Liam is the club captain and Barry is the vice-captain,” Pedersen said. “When we come a little bit further, I will integrate a third captain. So we will have three captains. And then we will have a leader group of senior players, maybe one young player. As the senior group, this is the way I want to build it up.”
Speaking in response to confirmation that Palmer will retain the captaincy, vice-skipper Bannan spoke in relaxed terms. The pair led the changing room together for the bulk of their time as teammates and will assume similar roles within the leadership group. The likes of Ricardo Santos and Liam Cooper provide the club with great experience at EFL level and have been recognised as leaders throughout pre-season so far.
“Nothing changes for me,” Bannan said. “Obviously I’m quite vocal - in the changing room, at the training ground, on the pitch. So it didn’t ever take an armband for me to be like that, it was just my personality.
“It’s totally understandable, and I couldn’t have given it to a better person when I handed it over. Palms has been here his whole career, and he’s an amazing person who loves the club. So it’s not a problem for me, it doesn’t change anything for me. I’ll still be me on the pitch, I’ll still be vocal and a leader around the place.”