The Owls skipper has started all 15 of his team’s Championship games this season, pulling the strings in the midfield scoring two goals and setting up another in the process.  

 

Bannan played under Holloway at Blackpool and Crystal Palace, and the midfielder’s former boss rates him highly, having played an integral part in his early career.  

 

 

Holloway insists he is not at all surprised by how well Bannan’s career has turned out, as the 57-year-old shared how he used to back Bannan to push harder while under his tutelage.   

 

The Grimsby Town boss added that Bannan is talented enough to play in the top flight with the skill he has on the ball more than making up for his lack of size.

 

 

“Am I surprised he’s done so well? Not in a million years”, Holloway told The Athletic.

 

“Am I surprised that he’s not in the Premier League? Yes, I am, because he’s good enough.

 

 

“When I was growing up, I had people like Johnny Giles and Billy Bremner to look up to and I used to say to Barry, ‘It doesn’t matter how tall you are mate’.

 

“It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.”

 

Bannan was handed the captain’s armband by former Sheffield Wednesday manager Garry Monk at the start of this season and the new boss Tony Pulis has continued to trust the Scotsman to lead the team at Hillsborough.