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Barry Bannan has been a picture of class throughout the plight of Sheffield Wednesday, and he has now sent a touching message to his former teammate.
After a 15-year career in English football, veteran striker Lee Gregory announced his retirement on social media on Friday.
For his final season, the Englishman returned to where it all started at Mansfield Town, and still proved that age is just a number after scoring ten goals in 20 League One outings at 36.
Before returning to Mansfield for his footballing swansong, Gregory played alongside Barry Bannan for the Owls between 2021 and 2024 amid their rise from the third tier back to the Championship.
After the 37-year-old called time on his playing career, his former Sheffield Wednesday skipper sent Gregory a classy message on social media.
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Barry Bannan’s message to Lee Gregory after his retirement
The Sheffield Wednesday skipper has shown his class throughout the summer during the Owls’ crisis, which is still ongoing courtesy of owner Dejphon Chansiri.
Bannan took a stand at Sheffield Wednesday when strike action was mooted following a string of Chansiri’s financial failures.
Before that, Bannan signed a new contract at Sheffield Wednesday despite Middlesbrough and Millwall reportedly eyeing the veteran midfielder, as a token of his loyalty to the Owls.
Now, the Scotsman has shown his class again with a message to Gregory following his retirement.
Bannan posted on Instagram: “Was a pleasure sharing a pitch with you what a striker to play with and amazing guy off it too all best in your next adventure love ya mate 💙”.
The ex-Millwall striker scored 29 goals and notched 11 assists in 101 outings for the Owls across three seasons – and started in the League One play-off final win in 2023 – before moving back to Mansfield on a free transfer last summer.
Former Sheffield Wednesday star Josh Windass, now of Wrexham, also wished Gregory well in his retirement.
Windass said: “What a team mate. And thankyou for this day! Good luck in retirement me old pal”.
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Sheffield Wednesday hero Lee Gregory reacts to retirement
Gregory will forever be held in high esteem by the Sheffield Wednesday supporters for his efforts in their promotion-winning League One campaign of 2022/23.
The veteran striker may have scored 11 goals and notched five assists during the regular season, but his name will be associated with the ‘Miracle of Hillsborough’ for the rest of time.
In one of the greatest comebacks in English football history, Sheffield Wednesday beat Peterborough United on penalties after a 5-1 win in the second leg brought the aggregate score back on level terms.
A masked Gregory scored the second goal of the Mission Impossible comeback, before scoring an own-goal in extra-time to send Peterborough ahead on aggregate again before Callum Patterson’s equaliser sent the tie to penalties.
As they say, and all Sheffield Wednesday fans will remember fondly, the rest is history.
After announcing his retirement, Gregory thanked “every club, teammate, coach, and fan” from his extensive playing career, and Sheffield Wednesday certainly have a lot to thank their former striker for.