Danny Rohl has heaped praise on Barry Bannan as he approaches his tenth season at Sheffield Wednesday.
The midfielder joined The Owls from Crystal Palace in 2015 and has since racked up over 400 appearances.
Bannan’s future was in doubt as the 2023-24 season came to an end and he hadn’t been offered a new contract, but Sheffield Wednesday’s survival led to the veteran putting pen to paper.
After starting 41 games in the Championship last season, Bannan looks set to continue as one of the first names on the team-sheet in what could be a pivotal campaign under Danny Rohl.
Despite his age, the Scot remains a favourite of Rohl, and the German coach has now explained why he is so ‘crucial’ to the team.
- READ MORE: Barry Bannan says ‘under-rated’ former Sheffield Wednesday man is ‘one of the best’ he’s played with
Bannan is ‘crucial’ to Sheffield Wednesday
Speaking to The Star, Rohl said: “He is crucial, really crucial. You have players who see it and want more and more and are always one step ahead. This is good.
“Some players need a little bit more help but what is important is that we are strong as a group. In the defence I speak a lot about coaching from behind and in ball possession we need players who want and need to receive the ball, they coach (offer advice on the field) even if it is a lot of pressure, like against Red Bull (Salzburg).
“You see some of the solutions from Barry in the middle of the pitch and it was outstanding. You need players to understand the game and that is why we try to keep the core of players from last season.”
The captain is just as important off the pitch
Despite struggling last term, Wednesday do have a number of players who can act as leaders in the squad, with Bannan and Liam Palmer both proving their importance when things got tough.
Bannan may not chip in with as many goals and assists anymore, but his impact on the team goes much further than just his performances.
The 34-year-old will likely act like an assistant coach to Rohl at times, who is only eight months older than the midfielder.
There is plenty still to come from Bannan and there will also be hope that he can one day join Rohl’s backroom staff when he hangs up his boots.