What Barry Bannan has added to Millwall's squad ahead of Sheffield Wednesday return
Barry Bannan will make his first return to Hillsborough on Saturday after leaving Sheffield Wednesday last month.
Millwall head coach Alex Neil has outlined the “alternative” quality Barry Bannan has added to his squad ahead of his return to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday afternoon.
After ten-and-a-half years at Hillsborough, Bannan left the Owls just over a fortnight ago, joining Millwall for an undisclosed fee. He put pen to paper on an 18-month deal at The Den, marking the end of an era in S6.
Bannan has made two appearances for the Lions since moving south, coming off the bench in their 1-1 draw with Sheffield United at The Den almost a fortnight ago and then starting last weekend’s 2-0 win over Wrexham at the Racecourse Ground.
The victory over Wrexham saw Bannan, who made 477 appearances for Wednesday, securing his status as a modern-day club legend, start as an attacking-midfielder, occupying the No.10 spot, meaning the onus was on him to create openings from an advanced area of the pitch.
Although Millwall, who have faced an injury crisis in midfield in recent months, have a deep collection of midfielders, Bannan, in the eyes of Neil, brings something different to the table.
Neil explains what Bannan brings to the table
“We’ve got Derek back, which gives us a bit of height and a bit of size and a bit of bite in the middle,” Neil told NewsAtDen. “Billy [Mitchell] and Casper [De Norre] being back have been great as a partnership.
“Barry Bannan gives us an alternative in terms of a little bit more passing range – splitting lines and looking forward.
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“Luke Cundle’s a great rotator of the ball and has a great understanding of the game. Camiel Neghli has shown that he can play as a number eight brilliantly, he can play as a ten, he can play off the left, he can play off the right.
“We’ve got some really, really good options right across the middle of the pitch. The boys are competing really well for the first-team slots.”