MAEL de Gevigney admits being on the Barnsley bench for most of this season has been ‘not easy’ but is glad to have broken back into the starting 11 this week.
After signing in 2023, the centre-back started 38 then 39 league games in his first two seasons in English football.
But, this campaign under Conor Hourihane, he only started six of the first 30 league games, sometimes at right-back, before returning to centre-back for both games this week.
De Gevigney told the Chronicle: “It’s been a different season. I’m not used to this, honestly.
“It’s not easy, obviously. It’s a challenge and I like challenges.
“I’m working hard whatever is going on. I knew that I was going to have minutes and, every time I’m on the pitch, I just want to give everything for the team, fight hard, and do my best, and hopefully get more minutes.”
He added: “Every player is in football because he wants to play football.
“It’s a passion. I want to play. But I know that I have to work hard whatever is going on because it’s not just one season. It’s a whole career.
“For me, as a player individually, I have to give my best for the future. If I don’t have minutes at this time, I might have more minutes later. And that’s what’s happening now. I’m happy that I’ve worked hard to be ready for these minutes and to help the team.”
De Gevigney said he had been in constant communication with Hourihane during his time out of the 11.
“We’re talking every week about his choices, about everything, about how he wants us to play and what is the principle for the defenders and the way we want to play. So he makes his choice.
“That’s his choice. He’s the gaffer.
“It’s not on me.”
Barnsley are partway through a run of seven games in three weeks.
De Gevigney said: “Hopefully, we’re going to find this consistency in the results, and it’s going to be good.
“But we know it’s going to be tiring. If we start winning games, maybe it’s going to be easier for us physically and mentally. But we know that we’ve got a lot of games in a row, and we’re going to have to be ready for them.”
De Gevigney has been playing alongside January signing Eoghan O’Connell.
“It’s been good, to be fair. Eoghan is a really good player, experienced player.
“He’s calm. He gives everyone confidence, and it’s good to play with him.”
Mael was also full of praise for in-form striker David McGoldrick.
“He’s an example for everyone. Honestly, when you’re looking at him, how hard he’s working after that many seasons in the EFL, he could just stay doing just training and not doing much. But I think he’s one of the ones who’s working harder in the team.
“When you look at how he’s playing, how he’s giving everything on the pitch, it’s normal that he’s the fans’ favourite player. And they have a right to think about him like this, and he deserves it.
“He’s scored that many goals for us. He’s helping us really much recently, so big praise for him.”
De Gevigney is out of contract in the summer but the Reds have an option to extend the deal for another year.
