A look at all the players who made a league appearance for Barnsley in the 2024/25 season.

Davis Keillor-Dunn 42 starts, 18 goals

By far and away Barnsley’s best player this season.

The Reds chased him all summer and paid a comparatively big transfer fee to sign him on deadline day from Mansfield for whom he had started at Oakwell on the opening day. He has started every game since and – with 18 goals and seven assists – has the most goal contributions in a Barnsley season since Sam Winnall and Conor Hourihane in 2015/16. Only Jay Stansfield and Charlie Kelman scored more in League One.

If not for his numbers, plus his ability to transform dull games with a moment of pure quality, the Reds would surely be far lower in the division and may have been looking nervously over their shoulders at the relegation fight. He has made a habit of finding the corners from the edge of the box but there was also the lob against Lincoln and the free-kick at Wigan, plus some close-range striker’s goals.

Higher clubs will surely at least consider buying him.

Mael de Gevigney 39

A reasonably solid season for the French defender until a difficult last two months.

He had played every minute of 63 successive league games across 15 months – the best such run by an outfielder since Nicky Eaden in the 1990s – but suffered a minor ankle injury in January. He was then sent off at Northampton and also Birmingham, in the third minute, with the latter at the end of a miserable week in which he gifted crucial goals to both Wigan and Exeter. He has returned for the final three games and been more solid, in a back four.

De Gevigney is not the next Mads Andersen or Michal Helik but can be a fairly solid League One defender.

He made the most interceptions – for which he is also in the top ten in the division – and blocks of shots of any Barnsley player, as well as the most passes.

Luca Connell 37 (4 substitute appearances), 2

The midfielder has never quite consistently returned to the performance levels he showed in his first season at Oakwell which culminated in an infamous miss at Wembley then was followed by a long-term absence due to illness. Of course he is not surrounded by the same calibre of player as he was two years ago.

Connell was made captain for this season, had a full summer and scored two early goals with four assists before Christmas. But he has not scored or assisted in more than six months despite having the fourth most shots from outside the box in the league.

Despite a few flashes of his old self, his performances dipped and he was dropped by Conor Hourihane in late March for two games, before a better end of the season. He is still in the division’s top ten for ‘key passes’ but was taken off set pieces for a large chunk of the campaign.

Connell could be one of the players who might attract attention from other clubs this summer. If he stays, he is surely best used as a combative holding midfielder after attempts to turn him into a more expansive and attacking player have not worked.

Corey O’Keeffe 35 (6)

The right wing-back began the season as second choice to Barry Cotter but won his place back and started 31 successive league games before being dropped late on after some poor performances. He was, at one stage, the second highest assist-maker in the division with seven – as well as two in the cup – and was involved in a lot of Barnsley’s clever set piece routines.

He has not set up a goal since January but still created the fifth most ‘big chances’ in the division.

The 26-year-old made a lot of defensive errors in the second half of the campaign. The most notable was gifting Northampton a goal in February with a short backpass but he did the same in other later games and was bailed out. He blocked two crosses all season.

O’Keeffe did not score and only had three shots on target all season which was fewer than Josh Benson, who was injured for the majority of the campaign, and the same as Aiden Marsh who did not start a game and was loaned out in January.

It is not his main job to score goals, but he did net three last season when he seemed to join in attacks a lot more than this campaign. Strangely, only Max Watters and Jon Russell were caught offside more times than O’Keeffe for Barnsley. Having barely featured in recent weeks, his future is unclear.

Marc Roberts 35 (2), 3

The centre-back returned to his hometown club for a second spell after seven years at Birmingham and has brought experience and leadership. But he has been as inconsistent as many of his younger colleagues as, at times, he has looked imperious but others less so.

Roberts has made the most clearances for the Reds and is in the league’s top ten for winning headers.

He may be pushed harder by the likes of Kacper Lopata and Jack Shepherd next season.

Adam Phillips 34 (2), 9

Almost the opposite of the midfielder’s two previous campaigns with the Reds in that he started extremely well – scoring five goals in August and September – but could not maintain that form.

He has still reached double figures for goals for a third successive season in all competitions which is extremely impressive, while he added seven assists.

Undeniably he is one of the best attacking midfielders in the third tier on his day but, as one of the senior players in a weaker squad than previously, has not had enough days. Since netting fine winners against Bolton and Wrexham over the Christmas period, he has scored once in 18 games from open play.

Phillips was dropped along with Connell by Hourihane then left out for two games after missing a team meeting, and was again benched for the last fixture.

He has been the penalty-taker this season, netting four from four in games but missing in the FA Cup shoot-out against Bristol Rovers.

The 27-year-old could be sold this summer if an acceptable bid comes in for him.

Josh Earl 34, 2

A first full season at Oakwell for the defender.

He has some impressive attributes, at six foot four, with the ability to hit diagonal passes with his left foot and charge forward powerfully on the attack.

But he, like most of the Barnsley defence, has made frequent mistakes through the season.

Earl scored his first two goals for the club, and added four assists including three in the last five games.

He had a couple of spells out injured in the second half of the season after being an almost ever-present following his move from Fleetwood in January last year.

Jon Russell 34 (6), 11

The Jamaica international has been an underrated performer for the Reds this season – probably the second best player after Keillor-Dunn.

Having not been a regular in his first two seasons at Oakwell, he did not start any of the first ten league games this time and was sometimes not in the squad.

But he forced his way into the team with good performances in training during the October international break and has been almost an ever-present since, operating in a more attacking role on the left of a central three.

Russell was the second highest scorer for the Reds, with a goal glut in April and May, while he netted the joint third most goals from outside the box in division. He made the most tackles and blocked the most passes of any Barnsley player.

Russell – who has a year left on his Oakwell contract – is now hoping to play for Jamaica this summer.

Stephen Humphrys 26 (11), 9

The forward signed on deadline day in the summer as a free agent and promised to cause ‘carnage’ while wanting to be the ‘main man’ of the Reds attack.

He took some time to get fully fit but scored an epic last-minute winner in a thunderstorm at Burton Albion and soon became a fan favourite with his flamboyant playing style and viral celebrations.

But, after superb goals against Rotherham and Cambridge in November, he did not net for 23 games during which time he lost four kilograms in weight due to an illness.

He eventually got back on the scoresheet under Hourihane who played him as a winger after he was mainly used up front by Clarke which he said did not suit him.

Humphrys netted five in his last five. The Reds have opened discussions with him for a new deal. Hourihane has praised him but says he needs to get fitter.

Max Watters 18 (12), 5

Easily the striker’s best season for Barnsley so far, but still a frustrating and unconvincing one.

Having been totally frozen out under Neill Collins last season, he started the campaign as a main striker then scored twice in four days in August and did so again in October. But he has two in 24 across the final six months of the season. He has been in and out with regular injuries and never built up a consistent rhythm.

Watters has shown at times that he can unsettle opponents with his running power and pressing but his finishing clearly needs work, with the loss at Bristol Rovers in January particularly damning as he missed five clear-cut chances. He missed huge opportunities in the last two games as well. Barnsley surely need to find a more reliable option up front.

Georgie Gent 19 (6), 1

The young left wing-back signed from Blackburn Rovers after a good season on loan to Motherwell.

He was taken off 25 minutes into the first game of the season then again at half-time in his next start and, after a spell out of the squad, was a regular towards the end of 2024 before losing his place again.

He scored his first EFL goal in the win over Lincoln on March 1 but also picked up an Achilles injury which could see him sidelined for much of the calendar year.

Gent blocked 22 crosses this season which is more than double any other Red and the fourth most in the division despite starting less than half the games. The 21-year-old had some good games but was inconsistent offensively and defensively.

Donovan Pines 17 (7), 2

A poor first full season for the American defender.

The chants of ‘USA’ and renditions of American Boy which greeted his arrival last year were heard only fleetingly. Ultimately, Marc Roberts, who was brought in last summer, has just performed better than him consistently in the middle of the back three.

For all his physical prowess, the towering Pines makes far too many mistakes and can be a liability on the ball.

At one point Barnsley’s record when he started was far better than when he did not but his individual performances in the second half of the season did not justify regular gametime. He barely featured under Hourihane – with no minutes after a poor display at home to Cambridge in March – and said goodbye to the fans on social media this week as he was released.

Ben Killip 17

The goalkeeper started the first game of the season but was dropped for Gaga Slonina then – after replacing the American and generally playing well other than a horrorshow against Leyton Orient – was dropped for another loanee Joe Gauci in January. That meant he wanted to leave and he was sold to Championship club Portsmouth. He played their final two games of the season.

Conor McCarthy 16 (4)

The Irish centre-back finally got some league action this season after a two-year wait following an ACL injury and a loan to Swindon. He was never first choice but filled in fairly successfully over Christmas then towards the end of the season, a few errors aside. An impressive person who seems to genuinely love the club, the injury has badly hampered his Oakwell career and he probably has not done quite enough in recent months to justify a new contract when the Reds already have so many centre-backs and are changing to a back four. He has finished the season out of the 11. Released.

Kelechi Nwakali 12 (11), 1

The Nigerian International signed a three-year deal in the summer and took months to be fit enough to play for Darrell Clarke.

After impressing in the EFL Trophy, he also made a big impact when finally given some league action in late 2024 – especially with a fine long-range goal at Exeter.

But, although he is possibly the most technically gifted passer at the club, his off-the-ball work is not as strong, and his performances have dipped in general.

He has been competing for a start with captain Luca Connell, and he barely featured under Hourihane towards the end of the season.

Barry Cotter 14 (7)

The Irish wing-back looked like he had made Barnsley’s right flank his own in the opening months of the season but his performances soon regressed and he was replaced by O’Keeffe.

After a spell out of the matchday squad, his training levels got him back in the side over Christmas but he picked up an injury on New Year’s Day and only returned in April.

He finished the season on the wing and caused problems with his pace and directness but, although he created chances and assisted a goal on Saturday, can improve his end product.

Cotter has a year remaining on his deal.

Gaga Slonina 11

The youngest of all the goalkeepers to play for the Reds this season. The 20-year-old American international joined from Chelsea and, after a good start with two saves in a cup penalty shoot-out win at Wigan, made a series of clear-cut errors which led to goals and was dropped in October.

He then picked up an injury and the loan was cut short in January.

He has not played since.

Matty Craig 10 (4)

Another Premier League loanee who struggled, was sidelined then left in January.

The midfielder from Spurs excelled in pre-season and was a regular starter in the opening months but was too similar to fellow diminutive defensive midfielder Luca Connell plus did not play consistently well.

He was one of the players dropped after the October international break and his only start after that was at home to Leyton Orient in December when he was taken off before half-time. Craig then joined Mansfield for an injury-plagued spell.

Sam Cosgrove 8 (11), 1

A terrible campaign for the tall striker after his underwhelming first season at Oakwell ended with two excellent performances and three goals in the play-offs. It looked like he would kick on from that when, after playing all pre-season, he netted a fine goal at Lincoln in August.

But that proved to be his only strike of the season as, after new strikers arrived, he found himself on the bench with increasingly short cameos – barely making an impact in most of them.

He was loaned to promotion contenders Stockport County and has started once in the league with six substitute appearances. Cosgrove will now have another crack at the play-offs and has been released by Barnsley.

Joe Gauci 7

Barnsley had been monitoring the Australian international for three years before his move from the A-League to Aston Villa then finally signed him in January only for him to injure his hip within a month.

He was brought in as a more dominant alternative to Ben Killip and did fairly well, although he conceded a poor free-kick against Huddersfield. After his injury, he replaced Kieren Flavell and had a good game against Shrewsbury.

The fact that he was brought back and replaced an academy player suggests he could return next season.

Neil Farrugia 6 (3)

The Irishman abandoned a Europa Conference League run with Shamrock Rovers to join Barnsley as a free agent in January. He was in and out with an injury which eventually ended his season. He briefly played as a striker at Stockport, despite being a left wing-back.

Kieren Flavell 6 (1)

The goalkeeper has been at Barnsley for 13 years since the age of eight. After a series of injuries to the other stoppers, Flavell – who had just returned from a loan at Farsley Celtic – made his professional debut as a substitute at Mansfield then started six games.

Hourihane did not bring in an emergency loan, to give Flavell a chance, but eventually replaced him with the fit-again Gauci after some good performances then a tough day at Leyton Orient. Flavell’s height and ability on the ball, as well as his shot-stopping, have meant Premier League clubs have been looking at him.

Out of contract this summer and offered a new deal.

Jackson Smith 5 (1)

A strange season for the young goalkeeper. He was brought in on a four-year deal as a future number one with the intention to loan him out but the Reds could not find the right club in either window, although he did briefly go to Grimsby on emergency loan. He finally made his Reds debut in February after Gauci got injured but then picked up an injury himself three weeks later at Mansfield, having endured a difficult spell with a few errors.

Fabio Jalo 5 (11), 2

The 19-year-old Portugal under 20s forward looked set for a breakthrough season last summer.

But he hurt his shoulder in the final friendly and, after a couple of attempts to come back, finally had to have an operation which kept him out until March.

Having been around the first team squad for three years and played more than 40 games, he only made his full league debut in late March under Hourihane, who backed him in a way no previous boss had. He repaid that faith with his first two league goals in a thrashing of Bolton and looked to be thriving on the right wing.

But a knee injury on Easter Monday ended his season and he will miss much of 2025.

Jonathan Bland 6 (3)

Another teenager to impress in recent weeks after being handed his first EFL football by Hourihane having been recalled under Clarke from a loan at Peterborough Sports in National League North.

A midfielder by trade, he has been used at right-back recently and generally looks a tidy player with a strong temperament.

He started in midfield on Saturday and impressed.

Kyran Lofthouse 3 (15)

Lofthouse was a regular in squads in the first half of the season, playing on the right and left flanks as well as up front sometimes.

He often made an impact with his pace and direct running but wanted more regular football so was sent out to fellow League One club Burton Albion and has played a big part in their great escape from relegation.

He still has another year left on his Reds contract.

Dexter Lembikisa 3 (9)

The Wolves loanee has been another unconvincing January window signing overall. It was a surprise that he was brought in on deadline day, with the Reds already having three right wing-backs and being in need of strikers. But he replaced the loaned-out Lofthouse.

Lembikisa had a couple of decent cameos off the bench, such as his debut at Stockport, but several other appearances in which he was a liability with erratic passing and poor defending. He has started the final three games and performed better, setting up goals in Reading.

Josh Benson 2 (12), 1

Another season of injury setbacks for one of Barnsley’s highest-earners and arguably one of their most talented players. Benson picked up an injury in pre-season, another in October and yet another in March – each time after a few weeks of training and some fleeting appearances. The midfielder impressed at right wing-back under Hourihane, starting for the first time in 17 months and scoring at Mansfield.

But he limped off in the next game and, after a brief return at Leyton Orient, was not seen again. His lucrative contract, given out by Paul Conway in that disastrous summer of 2021 with apparently no relegation clause in it, expires this summer and he’s been released.

Clement Rodrigues 2 (4)

With Barnsley in desperate need of a striker in January while still in the promotion chase, on deadline day they brought in a French forward with a meagre goals record in the second division and very little grasp of English.

He started the next two games then came off the bench sparingly, often missing out on the squad altogether. He barely made any impact in any of the games he played and will inevitably go down as one of their worst ever striker signings. They have an option to make the loan deal from Bastia permanent but are not expected to take it. He had two shots.

Connor Barratt 1 (4)

The 21-year-old defender, who signed from Sheffield United last summer, had been around the first team squad for most of the season, often travelling with the team as the spare man to away games while playing for the under 21s or in the trophy. The Republic of Ireland under 21 made his professional debut off the bench in the 4-3 win over Lincoln on March 1, making an error for the third goal, but has generally impressed in the remainder of his appearances. Has been given another year.

Vimal Yoganathan 1 (4)

The teenage midfielder was a regular in matchday squads for most of the first half of the season, making his first league start against Charlton in October.

He netted his first two career goals against Manchester United under 21s in the EFL Trophy then started against their first team at Old Trafford in the EFL Cup.

Yoganathan, a regular for Wales under 19s, was loaned to Oldham Athletic in January. He has earned some rave reviews and will get the experience of play-offs in the National League. Very highly-rated at Oakwell.

Conor Hourihane 1 (1)

The legendary promotion-winning captain was the first signing of the summer when he re-joined as player/coach.

He said from the start that the emphasis should be more on the coaching role and that he was not the same player as in his glorious first spell.

He scored a fine goal in a friendly against Derby who he had captained to promotion months earlier. But, after unconvincing performances off the bench in the season opener against Mansfield and from the start at home to Northampton, he stopped playing and soon announced his retirement. Clearly it was disappointing for fans who wanted to see their hero in action more often.

The argument that it was a publicity stunt to flog season tickets seems flawed since he arrived after most had already been bought in the early bird period while it feels unlikely that many would decide to renew or not based on one signing. Hourihane had been doing good work on the coaching side of his role, which ultimately led to him being in charge of the team at the end of the season.

Aiden Marsh 0 (7)

For the third successive season, the striker was involved with the first team in the early part of the campaign but could not stay in the squad. His gametime lessened significantly after the arrivals of Keillor-Dunn and Humphrys then he was loaned out in January to Scottish second tier club Raith Rovers for whom he has scored three times but mainly been a substitute.

Marsh, who turned 22 this week, has been released by his hometown club.

Jon Lewis 0 (5), 1

Never knowingly undersold, Reds fans were hopeful of a season-saving striker signing after Clarke confirmed they would dip into the free agent market following a disappointing end to the winter transfer window.

It turned out to be MLS winger Lewis who had not played for months and would never start a game.

The Lewis and Clarke expedition faltered almost instantly as the American picked up an injury and, by the time he returned, the head coach had been replaced by Hourihane.

Lewis scored a late equaliser against Cambridge but has barely played since, despite Hourihane wanting to play with wingers. His name is a shop but he has been a flop, with just 53 minutes in total – fewer than Hourihane. Released.

Josiah Dyer 0 (1)

The young striker was on the bench for several games towards the end of Darrell Clarke’s tenure, but only used for a few minutes against Huddersfield at home which was his senior league debut. Clarke said that Dyer – the son of Reds legend Bruce – was ‘not quite ready’ for senior football, despite being a regular scorer for the under 23s, and left him on the bench at Stockport with left-back Farrugia up front instead. Released.

Bayley McCann 0 (1)

Darrell Clarke’s final act as Barnsley head coach was to give the teenage left-back his senior debut on 88 minutes in the 3-0 home loss to Blackpool. McCann, who had been recalled from a loan at Peterborough Sports, then did not feature under Hourihane.

Kieran Graham 0 (1)

The 17-year-old forward came on for the final few minutes of Saturday’s win at Reading having impressed for the under 18s and under 21s.