Sheffield Wednesday: Josh Windass reveals Barry Bannan's Rangers claim that helped convince him to stay | OneFootball

Josh Windass has opened up on his decision to stay at Sheffield Wednesday beyond last season

Josh Windass has revealed the role that Barry Bannan played in convincing the forward to sign a new contract with Sheffield Wednesday – with the Scot referencing his Rangers spell in a bid to keep him at Hillsborough.

It was feared that Windass would depart the Owls this summer following the end of his most recent deal.

It had been reported that he turned down a final offer from the Yorkshire outfit and was attracting transfer interest from a number of Championship rivals, as well as Birmingham City.

However, he put pen to paper on a new deal to commit his future to Danny Rohl’s side ahead of the upcoming campaign.

This was a huge boost to Sheffield Wednesday given how important Windass has been to the side since joining in January 2020.

Josh Windass reveals Barry Bannan contract message

Windass has revealed the role that teammate Bannan played in convincing him to stay at Hillsborough into next season.

He admitted that it was ultimately an easy decision to stay with Sheffield Wednesday once business matters had been sorted.

“Baz text me a couple of times, just saying, he was like ‘oh, when you left Rangers you regretted it, so you’ll regret it when you leave here,’ so yeah, he’s right,” said Windass, via Joe Crann on Twitter.

“Leaving big clubs, you always end up feeling a bit sad afterwards.

“So, it was an easy decision, but there was just business stuff that needed to be sorted.”

Windass has been a key figure for Sheffield Wednesday since joining the club in 2020, cementing himself as a regular presence in the side when available.

Injury issues have hampered him at times at Hillsborough, but it will still come as a big boost for Rohl to have him in the squad for next season.

The 30-year-old made 25 appearances in the Championship in the previous campaign, contributing six goals and two assists, playing a key role in their survival in the second division (all stats from Fbref).

Sheffield Wednesday’s summer business

Keeping Windass is just a part of the team’s summer business so far, with eight fresh faces in through the door courtesy of the transfer window.

Another loan agreement has been reached with Brighton for 19-year-old goalkeeper James Beadle, keeping him at the club for the season after he initially arrived last January.

The likes of Olaf Kobacki, Max Lowe, Jamal Lowe, Svante Ingelsson, Ben Hamer, Yan Valery and Charlie McNeil have also arrived, with pre-season now underway.

Rohl will be hoping to help guide the team closer to a top half of the table finish in the Championship in the new campaign, having overseen a 20th place finish in his first half-year in charge.

Windass agreement highlights Bannan’s importance

Keeping Windass is a huge boost for Sheffield Wednesday going into the new season, even if there are question marks over the consistency of his availability.

This revelation also highlights the importance of having a strong leader in the dressing room, such as Bannan.

That he can help convince someone like Windass to stay is so vital, and can help the team improve on the pitch as well as off it.

It has been a solid summer so far for the Owls, and there are plenty of reasons for supporters to be optimistic about the new term.