A statement from the club stresses that they had tried hard to keep the former skipper at Oakwell.

An offer making him the club’s highest player was snubbed and stories about a fall-out between player and manager Simon Davey were denied, they said.

Howard insisted on joining the Blades and Barnsley are left with a vacancy as captain. He is going on loan initially and cannot play against Barnsley on Saturday, November 8. The move will be completed during the January transfer window.

Supporters’ reaction to the controversial switch will be gauged tomorrow when Barnsley play Doncaster Rovers at Oakwell. Howard was a top scorer last season and has been a hero on the terraces.

Barnsley’s statements throughout the Howard affair have given blow-by-blow the club’s view of the affair.

“In the event that Brian Howard had agreed to enter negotiations for a new contract, the Board were prepared to make him the highest paid player to-day,” the club said via their website.

“There has also been speculation that the manager Simon Davey has had a fall-out with Brian. This is simply untrue. Simon has always had the highest regard for Brian as a player and a captain and has played him in every match this season until it was confirmed by the player directly that he was irrevocably committed to moving on.

“Brian has been an outstanding player for Barnsley FC over recent seasons and we wish him well for the future. However, the well-being of Barnsley FC going forward is always the top priority and we invite the fans to move forward and get behind the current team in our campaign.”

Meanwhile, Davey bids to end his dismal run of results in local derbies tomorrow. In nearly two years as manager he has yet to win one.

“It’s about time for a change,” he stressed before the showdown with Rovers. “This game has come at the right time for us. We need to bounce back.”

Davey is looking for his second Championship win of the season and tomorrow is a good chance to erase the memory of Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat at Ipswich. That night they became the first team this season to lose at Portman Road.

Barnsley are second from bottom and Davey sees plenty of similarities between his team and Doncaster.

“I’ve had them watched four times, they play controlled, passing football like us but also like us they are not finishing teams off,” he said. “It could be quite a spectacle.”

Defensive midfielder Hugo Colace looks set to miss a second game in succession with an ankle injury.

n Barnsley from: Muller, Foster, Moore, Souza, Kozluk, Campbell-Ryce, Devaney, Noble-Lazarus, De Silva, Hassell, Leon, Macken, Rigters, Hume, Odejayi, Colace, Adam.