Barry Bannan facts for kids
Bannan playing for Scotland in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Barry Ryan Bannan | ||
| Date of birth | 1 December 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Airdrie, Scotland | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.69 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Central midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Sheffield Wednesday | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| –1999 | Lenzie Youth Club | ||
| 1999–2002 | Albion Rovers | ||
| 2002–2004 | Celtic | ||
| 2004–2008 | Aston Villa | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2013 | Aston Villa | 64 | (1) |
| 2009 | → Derby County (loan) | 10 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | → Blackpool (loan) | 20 | (1) |
| 2011 | → Leeds United (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Crystal Palace | 22 | (1) |
| 2015 | → Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 16 | (0) |
| 2015– | Sheffield Wednesday | 407 | (33) |
| International career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Scotland U21 | 10 | (1) |
| 2009 | Scotland B | 1 | (0) |
| 2010–2017 | Scotland | 27 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:28, 3 May 2025 (UTC) | |||
Barry Ryan Bannan (born on December 1, 1989) is a Scottish professional footballer. He plays as a central midfielder and is the captain for the English club Sheffield Wednesday.
Barry started his football journey at Albion Rovers. He then moved to the Celtic Academy and later to the Aston Villa Academy. After playing for their youth and reserve teams for four years, he made his first team debut for Aston Villa in 2008. To gain more experience, he was loaned to other teams like Derby County, Blackpool, and Leeds United. In 2013, he joined Crystal Palace. After a short loan spell at Bolton Wanderers, he moved to Sheffield Wednesday. Barry has also played for the Scotland national team since 2010, earning 27 appearances.
Contents
Barry's Football Journey
Starting Out in Football
Barry Bannan was born in Airdrie, Scotland. He began playing football at a local youth club called Lenzie Youth Club. When he was nine years old, he was a ball boy for Albion Rovers. During a match, he impressed everyone by juggling the ball and flicking it over a player's head. The crowd loved it, and the club chairman was very impressed.
In 2002, Barry joined Celtic's youth academy. At 14, he got a chance to try out for Aston Villa in England. While on trial, he played in a tournament in Germany. His team won, and Barry was named the best player! Soon after, he was offered a two-year contract with Aston Villa.
Playing for Aston Villa
Early Days at Villa
In the 2007–08 season, Barry scored 13 goals for Villa's youth team. They won the Premier Academy League title. He also played for the reserve team, which won their league. After this successful season, he signed a professional contract with the club.
In November 2008, Barry was named "Young Player of the Month" by a local radio station. He was the first Aston Villa player to win this award twice. He made his first team debut on December 17, 2008, in a UEFA Cup match.
Loan Spells to Gain Experience
In March 2009, Barry joined Championship team Derby County on loan. He scored his first league goal in his very first game for Derby. His loan was extended, and he played ten matches, scoring one goal.
In November 2009, Barry went on loan to another Championship team, Blackpool. He made his full debut in December. In January 2010, his loan was extended, and he scored his first goal for Blackpool with a fantastic 30-yard shot. Barry helped Blackpool win the Championship play-off final, which meant they were promoted to the Premier League.
In March 2011, Barry joined Leeds United on loan. He played seven matches for them before being called back to Aston Villa in April 2011.
Later Years at Aston Villa
Barry scored his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa on September 25, 2011, from a penalty kick. Towards the end of the 2012–13 season, he didn't get to play as much. It seemed likely he would move to a new club.
Time at Crystal Palace
On September 2, 2013, Barry signed a three-year contract with Crystal Palace. He joined the team led by Ian Holloway, who he had worked with at Blackpool. Barry scored his first goal for Crystal Palace in the Premier League on November 23, 2013. It was the only goal in a 1–0 away win against Hull City.
In February 2015, Barry joined Bolton Wanderers on loan for the rest of the season. He played sixteen matches for Bolton.
Becoming a Star at Sheffield Wednesday
On August 31, 2015, Barry signed a one-year deal with Sheffield Wednesday. He made his debut for the Owls on September 12. He scored his first goal for Wednesday on December 12, 2015, helping them get a 2–2 draw.
In January 2016, he scored a great goal in an FA Cup match. Five days later, he signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract with the club. In April, he was named in the Championship's PFA Team of the Year, which is a big honor!
At the start of the 2020–21 season, Barry became the captain of Sheffield Wednesday. In February 2021, he agreed to a new contract until the summer of 2023. He was voted the club's Player of the Season for 2020–21, playing in every game that season.
In the 2021–22 season, Barry was nominated for the EFL League One Player of the Month award in February. He either scored or helped set up a goal in five of Wednesday's six games. In March, he scored three more goals and made two assists, winning the club's Player of the Month and the League One Player of the Month. He was also nominated for the Sky Bet League One Player of the Season. He was included in the Team of the Season and won the EFL Goal of the Season for his amazing strike against MK Dons. He won the club's Player of the Season award again, with nine goals and 12 assists in 49 games.
In the 2022–23 season, he won the club's Player of the Month award again. He was also nominated for the EFL October Player of the Month. His contract was extended for another season in March 2023. He was nominated for EFL League One Player of the Season and was named in the EFL Team of the Season for the second year in a row.
For the 2023–24 season, he won the Wise Old Owl Award for the second time. On April 21, 2024, he played his 400th game for the club. After the season ended, he signed a new contract on May 31, 2024.
In the current 2024–25 season, he won the club's Player of the Month for September. He scored two goals and made a key assist, reaching his 100th goal contribution for the club. His goal against QPR was nominated for the Championship Goal of the Month. In December, he moved into the club's top 10 all-time appearance makers. He was offered another new contract after the 2024–25 season.
Playing for Scotland
Barry played for the Scotland under-21 team in their qualifying games for the 2011 UEFA Under-21 Championship. He made his debut in a 1–0 win against Albania in March 2009. He scored his first goal for the under-21s in a win against Austria, which helped them qualify for the play-offs.
He also played one game for the Scotland B team in May 2009. On November 11, 2010, Barry was called up to the senior Scotland squad for the first time.
Barry made his debut for the Scotland national team on November 16, 2010, against the Faroe Islands. His performance was so good that the manager, Craig Levein, called him a future star of Scottish football. He made his first competitive start for Scotland in a Euro 2012 qualifier in September 2011. He was named man-of-the-match and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
How Barry Plays Football
Barry Bannan mainly plays as a central midfielder, but he can also play as a winger. He is especially good with his left foot.
Aston Villa manager Gérard Houllier compared Barry to famous Barcelona midfielders like Xavi and Andrés Iniesta. He said Barry is a smart player who understands the game well. Ian Holloway, who coached Barry at Blackpool, called him "a beautiful footballer, absolutely lovely to watch."
Barry's height and playing style have also led his Scotland teammate Darren Fletcher to compare him to Xavi, Iniesta, and Paul Scholes. Fletcher said Barry "is in the mould of the best midfielders in the world."
Houllier also defended Barry's size, saying it wouldn't stop him from being a great player. He said, "The Premier League has got more physical but it is not about a matter of size. Barry is competitive." However, Barry himself said that a former Aston Villa boss, Martin O'Neill, had doubts about his ability because of his size.
Barry's Life Outside Football
Barry Bannan was born in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire. His parents are James and Kathleen Bannan. When he was seven years old, Barry had four operations for different health issues.
Barry supports his former team, Celtic. His childhood hero is midfielder Stiliyan Petrov, who he later played alongside at Aston Villa.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Aston Villa | 2008–09 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | Premier League | 12 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 19 | 1 | |
| 2011–12 | Premier League | 28 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13 | Premier League | 24 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 30 | 0 | ||
| Total | 64 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 83 | 2 | ||
| Derby County (loan) | 2008–09 | Championship | 10 | 1 | — | — | — | 10 | 1 | |||
| Blackpool (loan) | 2009–10 | Championship | 20 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 22 | 1 | ||
| Leeds United (loan) | 2010–11 | Championship | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Crystal Palace | 2013–14 | Premier League | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 17 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Total | 22 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 1 | ||
| Bolton Wanderers (loan) | 2014–15 | Championship | 16 | 0 | — | — | — | 16 | 0 | |||
| Sheffield Wednesday | 2015–16 | Championship | 35 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 41 | 3 |
| 2016–17 | Championship | 43 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 2017–18 | Championship | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | — | 31 | 1 | ||
| 2018–19 | Championship | 41 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 45 | 5 | ||
| 2019–20 | Championship | 44 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 46 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21 | Championship | 46 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 49 | 2 | ||
| 2021–22 | League One | 45 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 9 | |
| 2022–23 | League One | 41 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 48 | 7 | |
| 2023–24 | Championship | 42 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 45 | 1 | ||
| 2024–25 | Championship | 41 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 45 | 4 | ||
| Total | 407 | 33 | 14 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 447 | 35 | ||
| Career total | 546 | 37 | 24 | 1 | 24 | 1 | 17 | 1 | 611 | 40 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2010 | 1 | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 5 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | |
| Total | 27 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
Blackpool
- Football League Championship play-offs: 2010
Sheffield Wednesday
- EFL League One play-offs: 2023
Individual Awards
- PFA Team of the Year: 2015–16 Championship, 2021–22 League One, 2022–23 League One
- Sheffield Wednesday Player of the Year: 2020–21
- SWFC Community Player of the Year: 2020–21
- EFL League One Player of the Month: March 2022
- EFL Goal of the Season: 2021–22
- EFL League One Team of the Season: 2021–22, 2022–23
See also
In Spanish: Barry Bannan para niños
