Barry Bannan breathes ‘sigh of relief’ as Sheffield Wednesday begin road back

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan says it has been “a huge relief” since the club went into administration last week.

The Owls were placed in the hands of insolvency firm Begbies Traynor on Friday, bringing to an end the troubled and controversial ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

Bannan told Sky Sports: “I think at the minute it’s a huge sigh of relief. Obviously the way we were going it was becoming difficult.

“Month by month we didn’t feel there was anything around the club that was positive, so when the news broke out last week, then obviously that begins a new start for the club.”

Wednesday’s financial problems under Thai businessman Chansiri, who bought the club in 2015, reached crisis point in the summer, with the club placed under various embargoes by the English Football League amid tax debts and failing to pay players and staff on time.

Administration has led to an automatic 12-point deduction, which has left the Owls, who were already bottom of Sky Bet Championship, 16 points from safety.

But a sense of optimism has enveloped the club and their fanbase as the process has now begun to find a new owner.

“The way it’s gone the last couple of months, the way it went at the turn of the summer – I think that’s what the club needs,” Bannan said.

“It’s been tough, don’t get me wrong. This summer was probably the hardest, when you’re not at the training ground, when you’re on holiday and getting asked a lot of questions that you don’t really have the answers for.

“But as a captain of the club, you need to try and help the players, stuff like that, so that was probably the hardest part.

“And pre-season when we came back, we didn’t have pitches, they were still getting finished – so they were the hard parts.”

Owls fans have boycotted games in recent weeks in a bid to speed up Chansiri’s exit, but a crowd of 27,261 returned to Hillsborough for last Saturday’s defeat to Oxford.

Bannan, eighth on the club’s all-time appearance list, showed his commitment to the ailing club by signing a new deal in August and he added: “The players have been amazing. The staff as well.

“At the training ground and at the stadium, they’ve all come together and got on with it and done their jobs brilliantly and professionally. Hopefully, there’s better times ahead.”