Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan says sorry after ...

Sheffield Wednesday captain Barry Bannan has apologised after receiving a strong backlash from fans for comments he made about David Goodwillie on social media. Bannan re-posted an Instagram post in which Goodwillie vowed to "speak my truth" after his switch to Sorrento FC collapsed after furious fans protested the move.

Goodwillie had penned a deal with the semi-pro Australian club but Sorrento were forced to rip up the contract following fury on social media. The 34-year-old was ruled to have raped a woman by a civil court in 2017. No criminal proceedings were instructed against Goodwillie but he was ordered to pay £100,000 in damages by a judge.

Reacting to Sorrento FC's transfer U-turn, former Aberdeen, Blackburn Rovers and Dundee United striker Goodwillie took to Twitter vowing to tell his side of the story. The message was shared to Bannan's story on Instagram with the caption "Topman that deserves to be heard" but Bannan has since deleted the post and apologised last night on social media for his comments.

Bannan posted on his Instagram account: “I would like to apologise for my comment earlier this evening… The comment was rash and I want to make it clear I would never defend abuse or violence. I’m sorry again if this offended anyone it wasn’t my intention.”

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Bannan, who helped the Owls secure promotion to the Championship last season, has also taken down the original post from his former Scotland teammate. Bannan has been criticised by Wednesday fans for appearing to back Goodwillie.

Rainbow Owls, Sheffield Wednesday's officially recognised LGBTQ+ supporters' group, tweeted: "To say we are disappointed in our captain, for comments he has made in support of shamed footballer David Goodwillie, is an understatement. This is why EDI initiatives in football are important & why we're here to educate, so this becomes less common."

Yorkshire Live have approached Sheffield Wednesday for comment.