Transfers
Barry Bannan reacts As Sheffield Wednesday loan Charlie McNeill
Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Barry Bannan took to social media on Thursday to wish forward Charlie McNeill well after the 22‑year‑old secured a season‑long loan to Crewe Alexandra, a move confirmed on Thursday morning.
Bannan posted a brief message, "Go on Charlie boy", accompanied by a flame and clapping emojis, echoing the support from several former and current Owls teammates.
Loan move sparks mixed reactions
McNeill, who joined Wednesday on a free transfer in the summer of 2024 after leaving Manchester United, scored six goals for the club, four of them in the previous campaign, including a consolation strike in the Steel City derby defeat at Sheffield United.
Designated surplus by manager Henrik Pedersen, he will spend the upcoming season at Crewe, with Wednesday sporting director Simon Wilson stating that all parties will "review the situation in January and take it from there".
Wednesday rebuild under new ownership
The Owls entered a new era following the takeover by David Storch's Arise Capital Partners consortium, prompting an overhaul that has already seen 13 new signings, among them Joe Lumley, Ricardo Santos, Billy Mitchell, Barry Bannan, Louie Barry, Harry Gray and Mason Burstow.
Departures this summer have included Pierce Charles, Dominic Iorfa, Nathaniel Chalobah and Svante Ingelsson, with McNeill becoming the latest to leave.
Crewe Alexandra, who finished 11th in League Two last season, hope McNeill can help them push for the play‑offs; he is the club’s fourth summer signing after Luke Offord, Joe White and Jordan Gibson and could debut on Saturday when Lee Bell’s side travel to Crawley Town.
Action Images By  James Reeves Published Aug 13, 2026, 7:00 PM GMT+1. James graduated from the University of Leeds with an undergraduate degree in English Language and Linguistics in 2021 before achieving a Masters degree in Society, Culture and Media at the same university the following year.
James joined the FLW Academy in October 2022, and after a short trial period, he became part of the team a month later. In his time with FLW, James has produced thousands of articles, covering the Championship, League One and League Two.
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