Barnsley: New boy Mallik Wilks expecting to be the dogsbody in the Reds dressing room

The highly-rated Wilks arrived from Leeds last week for an undisclosed fee as the Reds beat off competition from Hull to sign the forward.

It is a case of friends reunited as he knows Alex Mowatt from their time at Elland Road together, where Wilks cleaned the latter's boots.

Mowatt, now a senior figure in the side, does not let him forget it.

“I know Alex – I used to clean his boots at Leeds,” Wilks, who has travelled to Nice with the rest of the squad for the first of several pre-season camps.

“It’s crazy to think that I used to do that; he’s 24 now but back then he was one of the younger ones in the first team.

“I remember one of the other lads had his boots and they left the club, so I got told to clean them.

“To be fair, he sorted me out with a Christmas tip but, when he sees me now he’ll be like, ‘Mallik, clean my boots,’ he’ll never let it go.”

Whilst he knows Mowatt, boss Daniel Stendel is a new face, though first impressions were good.

“When I first walked in, he was like, ‘It’s my friend, the power’ and laughing – he’s a good guy, funny.

“It’s the first time I’d met him and it just shows when you’re wanted.”