Barry Bannan’s promise to Sheffield Wednesday fans

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has promised Owls fans that the players “leave everything on the pitch” in this afternoon’s League One play-off final clash with South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley.

Bannan added that Wednesday have a gameplan prepared to help them secure both promotion and “the bragging rights” at Wembley.

Barnsley v Sheffield Wednesday

It’s third v fourth at Wembley with a place in the Championship on the line.

The Owls produced a remarkable comeback to overturn a 4-0 first leg deficit and beat Peterborough United in their semi-final while Barnsley edged past Bolton Wanderers thanks to Liam Kitching’s goal at Oakwell.

Sheffield Wednesday’s plans for Wembley

Bannan, speaking on the League Of 72 Championship play-off final Special, in partnership with Sky Bet, revealed the Wednesday squad had been working hard to prepare for Wembley.

He said: “We enjoyed it that night [against Peterborough], and you’ve got to enjoy these moments because we’re not in football for a long time – they don’t come around like that very often. However, from Sunday onwards we’ve been back in and preparing as we would any other game – it’s important that we got back in as soon as possible, putting all the outside noise onto one side.

“We’ve got another massive job ahead of us on Monday, so we need to focus now, and do what we’ve been doing all season. We have a game plan that we need to work to and believe in – this is what we did for the second leg, believing in what the manager was telling us to do.

“It’s obviously a different occasion at Wembley, a lot of people in the changing room probably haven’t been there but we just have to treat it like any game – I know it sounds hard, but we’ve got to do that, go out there and do what we want to do.”

Barry Bannan’s message to Sheffield Wednesday fans

Bannan also delivered a pledge to Wednesday supporters – promising to give everything in the play-off final.

He said: “I don’t really get nervous [before games], it’s just the way I’ve always been. When it comes to game time, I’m serious, there’ll be nerves, but as soon as I cross that line it’s game time.

“It’s a derby game, so it adds to it for everybody. I grew up a boyhood Celtic fan, so I know a bit about derbies and what it means for the fans. But as players we have to switch off from that and treat it like a normal game and how we would prepare for that. I can safely say that we will go out there and leave everything on the pitch to get the result and the bragging rights.”