JACK Cowgill brought an end to a promising career as a Barnsley footballer aged 20 because he fell out of love with the sport then has made a new life designing prosthetic limbs for amputees. But the 28-year-old has fond memories of his time with the Reds and is looking forward to playing against them in a friendly for current club Emley AFC on Tuesday from 7pm.

The defender from Wakefield was at Oakwell from the age of eight, and seen as a rising star in the youth system.

He came on for his debut at Walsall in December 2014 aged just 17 – ahead of centre-back partner Mason Holgate who would become a Premier League regular – then started in a 1-1 draw with Peterborough at Oakwell later that season.

But he was released in 2017, having decided to leave the sport.

Cowgill told the Chronicle: “The season after I made my debut, I had a really disappointing season.

“I had a lot of things going on in my life.

“I really suffered with injuries.

“I just stopped enjoying playing football. Eventually I went into Hecky’s (Paul Heckingbottom) office and just told him I didn’t want to play football anymore.

“I’d known him since he coached my under 14s team at Barnsley and we had a really good relationship.

“We agreed I would leave the club.

“I think I would have been released at the end of my contract anyway.

“It didn’t work out the way I wanted it to or the way a lot of people at the club thought it would.

“But I don’t have a bad word to say about Barnsley.

“The club was a huge part of my life and my family’s lives and it was all I knew growing up.

“I loved it there.

“Making my debut at 17 was definitely the highlight then starting at home to Peterborough was amazing as well.”

Cowgill then totally changed career and worked in his father’s prosthetics company, which they now run together.

Jack, who has a degree in prosthetics, said: “I work with children or adults or war veterans who lose limbs.

“I am qualified to make and prescribe limbs.

“We have opened up private clinics.

“I really enjoy it and it has worked out well.

“It’s obviously a big change from playing football and a lot of people are quite surprised when I tell them what I do now.”

Cowgill stopped playing football after leaving Barnsley then, after a short-lived return with Ossett United, came back with Emley in 2023 and helped them to promotion then played in the Northern Premier League last season.

“I felt really at home at Barnsley and, to a large extent, I’ve got that feeling back with Emley.

“It’s a really good club with good ambitions and it fits in with my work which is my priority.

“I’m looking forward to the game against Barnsley. We played against their under 21s earlier in the year.

“It will be good for us to play against much better players than we’re used to and it should be a good crowd for Emley as well.”

Cowgill was a team-mate of Conor Hourihane who is a Reds legend and now the head coach.

“Conor signed the summer I started training with the first team

“I think he was only 23 but he just seemed so much older.

“He was so vocal. You knew he would go on to be the captain and it’s not surprising he is a coach now.”

Cowgill played for a decade alongside Holgate who went on to Everton and England under 21s.

James Bree, who was also part of that youth team, has played in the Premier League and is currently with Southampton.

“I played with Mason from seven years old pretty much all the way through.

“We’re still in touch. The same with James Bree who was always my best mate.

“We had a really good pool of players.

“I am really happy for them, for getting to such a good level.”