Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan has recently extended his contract with the club, after penning a two-year deal with the Championship strugglers. 

The Scotsman has been with Sheffield Wednesday since 2015, and has made 241 appearances across a six-year spell with the club so far.

He has made 32 appearances this season, and has chipped in with two goals and five assists, although the Owls have struggled in this year's campaign.

Sheffield Wednesday are currently sat 22nd in the second-tier standings, and are a point adrift of safety heading into the weekend's set of fixtures.

Speaking in a pre-match press conference ahead of their match against Birmingham City, Owls boss Neil Thompson reacted to the news of Bannan's new contract, and labelled it as a 'fantastic statement' from the midfielder to commit his future to the club.

"Baz has been a great player in the past and will also be in the future. It's a fantastic statement from the captain and it's really good news for the club."

Sheffield Wednesday were beaten by Stoke City in their last match, which means they'll be eager to get back to winning ways at the earliest of opportunities under the management of Thompson.

The Verdict: 

I'm not surprised to hear that he's pleased with the news on Bannan's future.

The Scotsman has been a key player for Sheffield Wednesday since Thompson took charge of the first-team, and it's good to tie him down to a new contract heading into a crucial period of this year's campaign.

It'll be interesting to see if Bannan's sticks around next season though, as the Owls could well be playing their football in League One, with relegation this term a real possibility.

But if experienced members of the squad can get back to their best, then Thompson's side should have enough quality to avoid the drop into the third-tier of English football.