What happens in Sheffield Wednesday's huddle - Owls skipper praises 'special' fans ahead of Portsmouth clash

The pre-game huddles have been part and parcel of Wednesday’s season in 2021/22, with the players getting together in the build-up to kick off, and their skipper has revealed what goes on in there – though admitted that he's got nothing planned ahead for this weekend, preferring to speak from the heart when the time comes.

Speaking to the media ahead of the crunch game against Portsmouth tomorrow, the Owls captain said, “It normally just comes to me in the warm-up, and I’ll go from there. Come game time I’ll have a good speech ready… It’s usually my bit in the huddle. The gaffer has his say before we go out, but normally it’s just me that speaks in the huddle.

“When we break some of the others will join in, but normally it’s about me trying to get us going and get us off to a good start. It’s something that we’ve done this season, and it seems to help in terms of getting us refocused before kick off.”

He went on to say, “You want to be up for the game… Sometimes it can be five or 10 minutes that you’re out there waiting for kick off - so that refocuses us and gets our mind set on the game plan and what we want to do from the off. Sometimes it’s little pointers to keep us on our toes.”

Bannan also heaped praise on the Wednesday supporters, who are set to turn out in their numbers this weekend, saying that the feeling of running out in front of them will never get old.

"It’s amazing,” he told The Star. “When you get that many people behind you cheering you on - it doesn’t matter if you have it every week, the feeling never changes.

“The Hi Ho Sheffield Wednesday - I think even the other team, you can see in their faces, think that it’s special.”

Wednesday face Pompey at 12.30pm on Saturday, and will be hoping to secure fourth place in League One extending their already-impressive record at home this season.

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