JONO Bland has known two of the stars of Saturday’s big win at Doncaster Rovers, Vimal Yoganathan and Reyes Cleary, for more than a decade and is pleased they are starting to fulfil their potential in senior football with Barnsley.

Bland and Cleary were in the West Bromwich Albion academy together from primary school age and, while Bland was released at 15 and joined Barnsley, Cleary played for the Baggies in the Championship and England under 19s before moving to Oakwell this season. Cleary got the assist for the opener in Doncaster, continuing a run of impressive performances since breaking into the starting 11.

Bland, 20, told the Chronicle: “I have known Reyes for more than a decade. He’s a great lad.

“He’s the same lad he was when he was younger. At the minute he’s filled with confidence which is the Reyes I know. It took him time and, when you are in and out of the team, not getting the chances you want, it’s hard to keep motivated and confident. But since his wondergoal at Bradford, he’s just smiling all the time.

“He’s tearing teams apart at the minute and he’s a big reason we have what we have going forward.

“I have seen a lot of lads get a label of a wonderkid like Reyes did and it’s not what you want. He’s better off keeping his head down and focusing. He’s had a couple of tough years. But he’ll just keep getting better because his potential is very high.”

Cleary’s assist was for a first professional league goal for Yoganathan who Bland has known through the Wales youth set-up and the Oakwell academy.

“I wasn’t expecting it. I thought he was going to pull the trigger and blast it over the bar again. I’ve seen him do that chop in training a lot of times. He’s a powerful runner and has a calm head in those positions.

“It’s a lovely finish and I am happy for him, he’s had to wait and had to play in a variety of positions.”

Bland has now gone away to Georgia with Wales under 21s. Craig Bellamy, the first team manager, has selected players from League One this season, a division in which Bland is starting regularly for Barnsley.

Asked about potentially getting a senior call-up this season, he told the Chronicle: “It’s a goal but I am not sure it’s a main goal. You always have it in the back of your mind. I want to make my debut. I am sure the Welsh side of my family are eagerly waiting for it to happen. But I don’t want to look too far ahead.

“I am happy, playing week in week out and getting better. If it comes at the end of the season I will take it but first I have to do a job for the under 21s.”

On Barnsley’s season, Bland said: “We’re all really positive. We all buy into the idea we have as a team.

“Some of our performances have been alright and we haven’t got the results.

“Other teams have come against us and not played as well but ground results out because they know how to do that.

“We’re getting better at that as a group.”