PATRICK Kelly is hoping to reach double figures for goals this season as he perfects an attacking midfield role he was not necessarily expecting to be playing when he joined Barnsley.
Kelly has three goals already this season, including the winner at Peterborough in the FA Cup on Saturday.
He has previously been used as central midfielder by West Ham and Doncaster but has been played behind the striker in a 4-2-3-1 for the Reds.
Kelly told the Chronicle: “I have got targets in my head. I want to get to double digits for goals.
“It’s still early in the season so I just need to keep chipping away.
“Most importantly the goal is to get the team as high up the table as possible.
“It’s going well for me at the minute. I feel really confident in the attacking midfield role and I am arriving in the box a lot. In the last month, there have been a lot of chances to score.
“Hopefully I can add more goals because it’s something I want to improve. I need to keep making those runs because we have the quality and I know the pass will come.
“I thought I would have been little bit deeper this season but I am seeing a different side to my game.
“I am working with the staff trying to improve every day.”
Barnsley’s league season has been stop-start for months but now they play regularly in the third tier over the coming weeks. The Reds are currently in mid-table but with games in hand on most sides. Kelly said: “I feel like this is our first proper run of league games.
“We’ve always had two then a cup game or an international break but it’s a busy schedule and a great chance to go on a good run. If we string a few wins together over Christmas we’ll be in a really good position.
“We’re not too bothered about where we are because we have games in hand.
“But come January we might have more of an idea of where we are and what we need to do to improve.”
Kelly, 21, has been playing regularly alongside fellow young midfielders like Reyes Cleary, Jono Bland and Vimal Yoganathan. He said: “It’s been really good. It gives you more belief that you’re not the only young player in the team. It gives you confidence that we’re all good enough, the manager believes in us and we’re doing well.
“We have good relationships off the pitch. We’re close mates which helps.
“It’s just about keeping the good form which is probably the hardest part as young players.
“But the staff are very good at not letting us get too far ahead of ourselves.”
Kelly made his international debut for Northern Ireland last month.
They have since been drawn in the World Cup play-offs away at Italy, with the winner playing either Wales – for whom Bland and Yoganathan are under 21 internationals – or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place in next summer’s tournament.
He said: “Hopefully I keep doing what I am doing here then I have a chance of being in that squad.
“It was unbelievable to make my debut. My family were all there.
“It was special because I’ve been working towards it my whole career.
“It will be a tough game against Italy but there is no reason can’t go through in a one-off game. We have a really good young team.”
