Barnsley: Conor Hourihane in talks over new Reds deal

Barnsley skipper Conor Hourihane has revealed he is in negotiations with the club over signing a new deal.
Conor HourihaneConor Hourihane
Conor Hourihane

The talismanic midfielder led the Reds to a memorable double-winning season last term with promotion to the Championship and victory in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final.

And twice this season the 25-year-old has been on the cusp of making his international debut having been called up to the provisional Republic of Ireland squad.

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Hourihane’s current three-year contract expires this summer and the midfielder has yet to decide on his future.

“I’m having ongoing talks with the club and we’ll just have to see where it takes us,” revealed Hourihane.

“It’s been positive so far. Barnsley have been good to me as a club and I’ve been good to them, so we’ll have to see what happens.

“It’s up to the club how far they want to push it. I’m open-minded and it would be silly for me not to be open-minded.

“The talks are ongoing and hopefully they’ll stay positive.

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“I’m in no rush, it’s a long season and I knew the talks would start. It [any deal] will come to the table when it needs to come to the table.”

The Reds host the Latics at Oakwell looking to extend their three-game unbeaten run from before the recent international break.

And Hourihane admits it’s been nice to get a well-earned break to recharge the batteries.

“It’s been nice to have had a little break to recharge mentally and physically,” reflected Hourihane.

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“The gaffer is very good at giving us days off during the [international] period.

“You hear of some clubs being in every day, but it’s important to get away and recharge.

“The games come thick and fast and, for me personally, I’ve been coming off the pitch tired. You’re hurting after the games.

“We feel like we’ve got two good home games ahead of us, starting with Wigan. “We want to win – and hopefully we will do.

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“We’ve all come back energized after the international break, so everyone is really looking forward to the game.

“We’ll have done our homework for the game and we’ll be ready for them.

“It’s going to be a tough game. Every game this season has been a tough game, it will probably go right to the wire like most games do in this league.”