Exclusive:'A massive honour' - Barry Bannan shares heartfelt verdict on 'touching' Sheffield Wednesday mural
A mural was unveiled outside The Park on Sunday in honour of Barry Bannan and his Sheffield Wednesday career.
Former Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan described having a mural of him and his family unveiled at The Park pub in Hillsborough on Sunday as a “massive honour”.
Wednesdayites, young and old, gathered at The Park, which is just a stone’s throw away from Hillsborough, for the unveiling of a special mural created by Sheffield artist Paul Staveley.
Bannan attended the event alongside several members of his family, including his wife, Chloe, and his two children. He was swamped by Wednesdayites as soon as he got out of his car, being asked to sign autographs and pose for hundreds of photographs.
The mural was unveiled shortly before 4pm, with Bannan’s wife and daughter, Elsie, assisting. The mural, which features Bannan holding the League One play-off final trophy aloft after Wednesday’s Wembley triumph in May 2023 and walking across the South Stand bridge with his children either side of him, was commissioned by the Millwall midfielder’s wife.
Bannan, who is understood to be edging closer towards a Wednesday homecoming, was delighted to have received a mural in recognition of his Owls career, insisting it is something he will cherish.
Bannan told The Star: “When I found out about it, it is something that you never see happening when you start out in football. But when you see the Scott McTominay one in Scotland, Andy Robertson at Liverpool and John McGinn one up in Scotland, it is just amazing that I was here for so long and have ended up having one here.
“In football, always when you see these things, you think: ‘I would like that for me one day’. So, yes, it was an amazing Father’s Day gift from my wife as well. She did an unbelievable job of hiding it from me.
“But it is a massive honour. This club has been a massive part of my life for ten-and-a-half years. To come and see that today, and see all the fans turning out again to celebrate it with me, it was an amazing feeling driving in.”
On the mural design itself, Bannan continued: “It’s good. I’ve got a lot of hair in it! It was the first thing I noticed. It made me look like I have got a good head of hair. I enjoyed that.
“Obviously, I am a big family man; everything I do is for my wife and my kids. For them to be a part of it as well is the most touching part.
“If it was just me and my moments at Wednesday on my own, it probably wouldn’t hit home as much. But because my wife and kids are in it, it was a really nice touch.”
Bannan joins Liam Palmer, who was installed as Wednesday captain following the former’s move to Millwall back in January, in having a mural dedicated to him outside The Park. The Scot insists he and his long-time friend are lucky to have been honoured with such recognition.
Bannan added: “It was probably Wednesday last week when I knew about it because I didn’t have a clue what was happening. Apparently, it was on social media, but I have not had Twitter (X) for years now.
“I saw Liam’s last year as well, and he will no doubt say the same thing as well, saying you probably won’t get many better feelings in football because this will last for years. I could come back here in 20 or 30 years and see that.
“It will hit home a bit more then about what you have done for the club and how they (the fans) have received you. Liam and I are lucky, lucky people to receive things like this because there have been a lot of good players at this club, and probably a lot of better players than us that haven’t received this.”