The Sheffield Wednesday midfielder spent a decade on Aston Villa’s books.
Sheffield Wednesday’s Barry Bannan in action (left)
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan is hoping for a positive reception when the Owls travel to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Bannan left Villa Park for Crystal Palace in 2013, having arrived at the club a decade earlier from Celtic.
The Scotland international moved to Wednesday at the start of last season, which ended with the Owls defeated by Hull City at Wembley and Bannan named in the PFA Championship team of the year.
Both Carlos Carvalhal’s side and Bannan have picked up where they left off this campaign, and head to Villa nine places and 17 points better off.
And though the 27-year-old’s primary focus is to return from the Midlands with all three points, he is keen to make the Villa fans aware of his feelings for their club.
“I am looking forward to it; I don’t know what kind of reception I will get, to be honest. I actually don’t know,” Bannan told the Sheffield Star.
“I think a lot of the fans who boo me on Saturday won’t realise that I actually support Aston Villa because I had been there since I was 13 to 23 probably.
“They are one of my English teams, to be honest and hopefully they will take it easy on me.
“But that club has brought me to where I am and I owe a lot to that club. But obviously on Saturday, I will be trying my best for Sheffield Wednesday.”
Villa may be closer to the bottom three than the top six, but it is they who head into the weekend on form, having won three of their last four fixtures.
In contrast, Wednesday have won only one of their last four, but will be out for revenge on Steve Bruce’s side, having being denied promotion by the Geordie boss last season.
Aston Villa boss Steve Bruce
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