A player by player review of Barnsley's season.

Luca Connell 39 starts (2 sub appearances), 4 goals

A second full season as captain for the midfielder.

He is undoubtedly a talented player for the level and still just 24 but has lacked consistency.

Connell is in the league’s top ten for most passes and sixth for chances created while he has made the most tackles and interceptions of any Barnsley player.

He probably had his best spell since the 2022/23 season in the first half of this campaign, being one of the team’s most creative players, but faded after December. He lost the ball for several goals, including three in one game at Cardiff and picked up a needless red card at Wigan.

He finished the campaign in better form but, overall, no longer looks quite the prospect he was three years ago – often resembling an ordinary third tier player.

Connell is understood to have nearly joined Luton Town at the end of the January transfer window, after Wycombe had several bids turned down in the summer.

It has been his most prolific season for goals, with all of them coming from outside the box, while he is unlucky not to have a lot more than three assists.

He is on 171 Reds appearances with a year left of his contract plus a club option for another.

Jack Shepherd 37 (2)

A tough first full season at Oakwell for the defender. There were high hopes when he returned from a successful loan in League Two with Bradford but he has been one of the main culprits of an awful defensive campaign.

Shepherd was sent off on the opening day but, after a one-game ban, started the next 28 in the league.

He had been tasked with passing out from the back, with mixed results, while his decision-making and general defending got increasingly worse as he became a liability. He was in and out at left-back towards the end of the season but looked lost and lacking in confidence as he made more mistakes.

Shepherd has said he is embarrassed and ashamed by the Reds’ defensive record. It is easy to forget that only three years ago, he was working as a kitchen-fitter and playing in the eighth tier.

He is Barnsley’s most fouled player, often throwing himself theatrically to the ground, and has made the team’s most clearances while blocking the fourth most shots in the league. He is out of contract this summer but the Reds have an option to add a further year.

Shepherd was not in the squad on Saturday, possibly to give Marc Roberts some minutes.

Patrick Kelly 33 (7), 2

The midfielder was signed on a long contract for free in the summer and is a very exciting prospect.

After being a bit-part player for Doncaster in League Two last season, on loan from West Ham, he took time to break into the Reds side but soon became a mainstay. His ability to carry the ball up the pitch is extremely eye-catching. He has made the third most successful dribbles in the league and Reyes Cleary the eighth most. Kelly is also in the top ten for short key passes which create a chance.

But the next step for the 21-year-old is to improve his end product. He has six assists but only two league goals – underperforming his xG by 3.5, the most of any Reds player, having missed some big chances.

If he starts to post similar numbers to team-mate Adam Phillips, then clubs will be tempted to pay substantial fees for him. Kelly made his first two senior appearances for Northern Ireland this season and won the Reds’ Young Player of the Year award.

Jono Bland 32 (13)

The academy graduate was given his debut by Conor Hourihane near the end of last season and, since then, has only missed three games when suspended.

No one played in more league matches than him for the Reds this season.

Bland, who turned 20 during the campaign, impressed early on with his character, energy and versatility in midfield and right-back. But, having also played through all the international breaks, looked jaded at times in the second half of the season with Hourihane admitting he featured more than planned. He lacks the passing range or attacking output of some team-mates and is yet to score, although he did hit the frame of the goal three times early in the season. It has been a big step up from playing in the sixth tier on loan last season and overall a positive season with hopefully more to come from him. His cross for Tom Bradshaw’s winner at Rotherham shows he can contribute in attack.

David McGoldrick 30 (7), 15

One of the stories of the season, and a big reason the Reds have not been in a relegation battle.

There were some doubts when the veteran striker joined last summer and, after a good start, they grew during a 16-game wait for a league goal during which he turned 38 and admitted he was ‘going through the motions.’ But he has had a tremendous 2026, scoring 13 goals in 18 games at one point and stepping up spectacularly after the sale of Davis Keillor-Dunn.

After playing every minute of eight straight games in a tight schedule, which Hourihane said was ‘obscene’, he unsurprisingly picked up a hamstring injury which kept him out for most of the remainder of the season so he finished on 18 goals in all competitions. Only seven players scored more League One goals this season.

Immensely popular with team-mates and fans for his output, enjoyable style of play and relentless work-rate, he scored hat-tricks in the EFL Trophy against Manchester United under 21s then at Leyton Orient in the league. He was voted Player of the Year by both the fans and the players. He is older than the previous 11 Barnsley FC Player of the Year trophy winners.

McGoldrick is now out of contract and the Reds will surely hope to keep him even if his close friend Hourihane is no longer the manager and other clubs will be interested. He is likely to be a big earner and eventually age will catch up with him but the idea of this team without him is worrying.

Adam Phillips 30 (13), 9

The midfielder is the first Barnsley player to score ten goals or more in all competitions for four straight seasons since Neil Redfearn in the 1990s. He registered 11 goals and six assists in total.

He was not always a guaranteed starter as Hourihane said Phillips was one of the best players in the league but he wanted more from him, perhaps expecting him to be an all-round midfield workhorse rather than only a goal and assist generator.

Hourihane tried him in various positions – deep midfield, number ten or an inverted winger but he never excelled in the way he did on the right of a midfield three in the 3-5-2 system Conor dispensed with until he finished the campaign well on the right wing.

The club have had a valuation for him but he has never performed quite at the consistent level in the last few seasons that would persuade clubs to pay that sum. It is similar to Connell’s situation but Phillips is much older as he turns 29 next season and has a shorter deal.

He is still an exceptional League One player and someone who the Reds would miss sorely if he left.

Phillips has 43 goals in 182 appearances for Barnsley who have an option to extend his contract by a year. He celebrated his goal on Saturday by tapping the Barnsley crest on his shirt.

Reyes Cleary 30 (12), 7

Only Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes registered more league assists in the top four tiers in England this season than Cleary with 13, plus two in cup ties. There were several months in the middle of the season when the winger was easily one of the best players in the division. Having not started in the first two months of his first EFL season after joining from West Brom for free aged 21, he was sensational as soon as being given a start. He terrorised right-backs with his pace and trickery while showing impressive end product – with his 70-yard goal at Bradford a remarkable moment.

Barnsley rejected bids up to £3million for him in January, with Hourihane saying that affected him and caused a ‘dip’.

He ended a 15-game goal wait with the winner at Northampton last week. There will surely be more bids in the summer for an exceptional if raw talent.

Tennai Watson 27 (9), 1

The right-back had been released after helping Charlton to promotion then spent the summer on the PFA’s training camp before joining Barnsley one game into the campaign.

He drew praise early on for his solid if unspectacular performances but, with the Reds looking for a more attacking right-back, he lost his place to Corey O’Keeffe in January. Watson has filled in a left-back and centre-back but only started two of the last 14 games as it seemed clear he would be released. He has the best pass competition rate of anyone who has started more than once in the league for the Reds.

Eoghan O’Connell 24 (1), 1

The Irish centre-back joined as a free agent in January having had several months out of football after leaving Wrexham who he had helped to three straight promotions. While being an upgrade on what came before, the 30-year-old has not improved the defence in the substantial way the Reds hoped or been the ultra-dominant centre-back they needed. ‘Bonesy’ and Mael de Gevigney were probably the closest Barnsley have got to a functioning centre-back pairing. Out of contract.

Davis Keillor-Dunn 22 (2), 13

The forward had netted 15 goals in all competitions when he was sold to Wrexham on deadline day in February for £2million with Mansfield taking a slice due to a sell-on clause.

Keillor-Dunn was a sensation for Barnsley in his 16 months at Oakwell and deserved a chance in the Championship.

McGoldrick’s superb form has cushioned the blow of his departure but, in hindsight, it is bizarre they were not played together in a two up front more often.

Keillor-Dunn made just six substitute appearances for his new club who missed out on the play-offs on the final day.

Owen Goodman 22

The Crystal Palace goalkeeper made a mistake and was sent off at Oakwell in August for Huddersfield who ended his loan early.

After joining the Reds in January, he looked nervous at first and let in several shots down to his left he should have saved. But his performances improved and he has been a reasonable signing overall.

He was in the Canada squad in the last international break and could go to next month’s World Cup.

Murphy Cooper 21

The goalkeeper joined on loan from QPR having kept 16 clean sheets at Stevenage last season but struggled behind a much less convincing defence.

He made some superb saves but errors crept in and he never dominated his box while his runs out of it occasionally led to goals or chances. He was sent back in January and then went to Sheffield Wednesday on loan.

Corey O’Keeffe 21 (2)

He was loaned out last summer to Stockport, with Barnsley looking to return to a back four and O’Keeffe was seen as a wing-back.

But he struggled at promotion-chasing County who sent him back in January and he played as a right-back. He has probably been more defensively solid than in his previous two seasons but with far less attacking impact, although he did provide three assists.

He has a year left on his contract.

Josh Earl 21, 1

The defender started the first 11 league games but has been plagued by injury since then.

After two earlier lay-offs, he broke a bone in his foot in training just before the cup tie at his beloved Liverpool in January and only returned in April at left-back. He still loses the ball as much as he makes good passes. Ahead of the retained list coming out, Earl is the only senior player who can play centre-back definitely contracted for next season.

Vimal Yoganathan 20 (14), 3

A mixed first full season in the first team squad for the 20-year-old midfielder.

He has been in and out of the side, with some tough moments like the red cards against Bolton and Bradford, but some excellent displays.

His performances seem to have a higher ceiling but lower floor than fellow Wales under 21 man Bland as he gets goals and assists and displays tremendous skill at times. Clubs at higher levels are reportedly monitoring him. He hit the bar or post three times this season.

Mael de Gevigney 20 (10)

After a torrid end to last season with frequent red cards and mistakes, Hourihane said the French centre-back would be a back-up and used more often at right-back. After starting just seven of the first 30 league games, he has returned to the 11 and arguably been the Reds’ most reliable centre-back this season – although that is faint praise. He is out of contract this summer but the Reds have an option to keep him for another year.

Scott Banks 16 (6), 3

The Scottish winger joined in January, having played at Oakwell earlier in the month for previous club Blackpool – being at fault for McGoldrick’s winner. He broke a club record by assisting four goals in his first three games and was also a fairly regular scorer.

But he faded towards the end of the season and it is unclear if the Reds will try to make the deal permanent.

Nathanael Ogbeta 14 (9)

The left-back, on loan from Plymouth, has barely featured since October.

After starting 11 straight league games he only started three of the next 34 and has been left out of the final few squads.

Having been very attacking in the opening weeks with the left winger moving infield, Hourihane has favoured more defensive left-backs since Cleary has broken into the side. He often struggled defensively.

Tom Bradshaw 14 (5), 3

The 33-year-old striker rejoined the Reds seven and a half years after leaving, having played alongside Hourihane in a successful first spell.

He had not started in six months or scored in 18 but was thrust into a busy schedule, with McGoldrick the only other striker, after Keillor-Dunn was sold and no one else brought in.

Bradshaw netted on his home debut against Wimbledon then, after a ten-game drought, bagged a brace in a win at Rotherham.

His performances generally were good as he played key roles in some other goals but three in 19 is clearly disappointing. He could be a good option at this level as part of a deeper group of strikers.

Marc Roberts 12 (5)

The centre-back, who will be 36 this summer, has struggled to contribute on the pitch for his hometown club.

He picked up an injury on the opening day in Plymouth then returned in October, scoring a late winner against York in the FA Cup, but got injured again in December.

He barely started for months then, after coming back to keep a clean sheet at Port Vale, made errors for goals against Bradford and Stevenage. He is out of contract.

Caylan Vickers 12 (3), 2

The Brighton loanee was arguably the Reds’ best player in the first month but then lost form and only started once after October. Hourihane said Cleary’s emergence on the left meant he did not want an out and out winger on the right, but Vickers tended to drift inside anyway. He lacked physicality and never won a header. After being sent back in January, he joined Wigan and only started twice.

Kieren Flavell 3

The 22-year-old goalkeeper has been understudy to loanees Cooper and Goodman, with the latter younger than him. Flavell was solid in EFL Trophy games and on Good Friday at Burton when Goodman was ill. He started the final two games, keeping a rare clean sheet at Northampton then making a bad mistake in the finale.

Neil Farrugia 2 (10)

The Irishman did not start a league game under Hourihane until December then moved the following month to Dundee United. He played at full-back, on the wing and up front but – other than in cup ties against inferior opposition – made no impact other than being at fault for goals like Blackpool’s late winner in September.

Georgie Gent 2 (2)

The left-back returned from a long-term injury in December and impressed in the FA Cup at Peterborough.

Some more minor injuries and illness set him back then he played two league games in February, looking rusty and off the pace. Hourihane said in April that he had not hit the required standards of professionalism.

Gent returned after Hourihane announced he was leaving and would bring back frozen-out players, coming off the bench twice. He still has a year left on his contract with an option in the club’s favour.

Fabio Jalo 1 (2)

A hard season for the Portugal youth international.

Having broken into the team last season under Hourihane but then suffering a serious knee injury, he returned in December and played a handful of games in all competitions but was sent out on loan to League Two Oldham. He has only made two substitute appearances for the Latics. The 20-year-old is contracted until the end of next season with a club option for another year.

Fitness is an issue so he needs a really strong summer to get himself fully ready for the next campaign.

Jake Rooney 1

The centre-back joined on deadline day in the summer as the Reds had defensive injuries and he had played with Hourihane at Derby. But Rooney was still struggling to get back up to pace after a serious injury.

Along with some mixed cup appearances, he played 45 minutes at Doncaster in November and was tortured by Luke Molyneux before being taken off at the break.

The 22-year-old was sent back in January and loaned out to National League Boston United for whom he has played much more often.

Jon Russell 0 (12), 1

The midfielder was one of the Reds’ better players last season, particularly at the end under Hourihane as he scored five in five. But, after missing some of pre-season on international duty with Jamaica, he fell down the pecking order in central midfield while attempts to play him in more attacking areas were generally unsuccessful.

He still scored four times in all competitions with only four Barnsley players netting more this season.

Russell was loaned out to Mansfield in January and scored five times. He is now out of contract at Oakwell.

Leo Farrell 0 (10), 1

The striker has been a talking point all season due to the lack of depth in his position. The 20-year-old showed some promise in cup appearances then netted four in seven on loan at National League Scunthorpe so earned a recall in March. He scored an epic late leveller against Bradford but never started.

Kelechi Nwakali 0 (4)

The Nigerian international was frozen out of the first team squad by Hourihane who cited a discipline issue.

He has been playing and training with the under 21s all season with the club attempting to move him on in both transfer windows. But he was brought back into the first team squad once Hourihane was leaving as those above him wanted Nwakali – who has a year left on his contract – to at least play some senior football to make it easier for him to either be moved on or reintegrated by the new manager. He came on twice on 70 minutes then after 80 in the next two in which he was at fault for goals.

Charlie Lennon 0 (3), 1

The winger signed as a teenager in January from Middlesbrough but was an unused substitute eight times before making his debut at home to Wigan and scoring an injury-time leveller. He played in the next game against Doncaster then did not feature for more than a month until the final fixture.

Connor Barratt 0 (1)

The 22-year-old centre-back signed a long-term contract last summer then came off the bench on the opening day at Plymouth. He then played in four cup games and was loaned out twice to the National League North then to Irish club Galway United.

Tawanda Chirewa 0 (1)

Barnsley are understood to have a growing relationship with Wolverhampton Wanderers, having loaned in Dexter Lembikisa last season then Chirewa and Xu Bin. None have made an impact on the first team. Chirewa played for ten minutes against Stevenage in January then suffered an injury and, by the time he recovered, Barnsley were focusing on developing their own young players.