Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has said he wants to remain with the Owls for this upcoming season in an interview with the Sheffield Star, despite their relegation from the Championship in May.

The South Yorkshire side endured a tough campaign last year, which was made even harder by the six-point deduction handed to them for breaking the EFL's profit and sustainability rules.

In the end, this proved to be the Owls' downfall as they missed out on second-tier survival by just three points, after failing to beat fellow strugglers Derby County on the final day of the season.

Many high-profile players, including Liam Shaw and Osaze Urhoghide, have already left Hillsborough this summer.

And with the likes of Adam Reach, Kadeem Harris, Matt Penney, Tom Lees, Jordan Rhodes and Moses Odubajo being released on the expiration of their deals, another experienced option in Barry Bannan has also been tipped to make the move away from Wednesday.

The 31-year-old has been linked with moves to Premier League side Brentford and previous promotion challengers Swansea City in the last few weeks as two tempting options for the midfielder, who is otherwise set to play third-tier football with his current side.

But the former Scotland international believes it's his duty to get the Owls back to the Championship as captain - and remains committed to the cause at Hillsborough.

In an interview with the Sheffield Star, he said: "Yeah, I'm sure I'll be here (at the end of the summer window). I've got a job to do in getting the team back to the Championship, and I’m looking forward to doing that.

"I've been the leader of the team, I’ve been here for so long, and getting relegated is never nice - especially in my first season as captain."

Neither Brentford nor Swansea City have made an approach for the 31-year-old as things stand, although the latter's managerial change may have already ruled them out of this race.

The Verdict:

This latest update from their captain will be a major boost to Sheffield Wednesday fans who will be desperate to see him stay in South Yorkshire for the foreseeable future - and you have to say his commitment to the club is admirable despite arguably being too good for the third tier.

Taking a more cynical view of things, Brentford have signed Frank Onyeka since this news regarding their interest came out, so the Scottish midfielder may not have managed to get his move to west London anyway even if he pushed for a move.

And as previously mentioned, Swansea have seen a new manager come in since mid-July. What targets Steve Cooper drew up before his departure are likely to be different to Russell Martin's, so Bannan is wise to stay put for now and weigh up his options in the next 12 months.

The third tier looks to be very competitive at the top end of the table, but Sheffield Wednesday will firmly be in contention for a top-six place during the 2021/22 campaign. And the prospect of getting the Owls back to the Championship is a tempting one for their current captain who will be eager to forget about last season.