'Kick in the teeth...' - Why this promotion-chasing player didn't end up at Sheffield Wednesday

There was a time when he was one of the hottest midfield talents in the EFL.
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Superb performances for a Barnsley side who won the EFL Trophy and secured promotion via the Play-Offs from League One caught the eye of a number of teams and that intrest strengthened when the step up into the Championship proved a breeze.

Sheffield Wednesday were one of those clubs who were interested in Conor Hourihane, with his Barnsley team mate Sam Winnall also being snapped up by then boss Carlos Carvalhal.

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And the player himself has explained the reason why he would choose Aston Villa when leaving Oakwell rather than the Owls who were at that point on the way to a second successive Play-Off spot.

Ashley Fletcher, Adam Hammill and Conor Hourihane of Barnsley celebrate with the trophy during the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final match between Oxford United and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium on April 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).Ashley Fletcher, Adam Hammill and Conor Hourihane of Barnsley celebrate with the trophy during the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final match between Oxford United and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium on April 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).
Ashley Fletcher, Adam Hammill and Conor Hourihane of Barnsley celebrate with the trophy during the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Final match between Oxford United and Barnsley at Wembley Stadium on April 3, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images).

“My goal all along had been to get back to the Premier League, so to achieve that was very special,” Hourihane said as he prepares for another promotion challenge, on loan at Swansea and in a play-off with old club Barnsley.

“When the move came about, you are looking at what might give you the best chance to do that, and it doesn’t take long to understand how big a club Aston Villa is.

"You walk in there and the European Cup is in the trophy cabinet, so that is the level of club you are going to with all the history and expectation that comes with it.

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“It is just a massive club and it was a chance I could not turn down. Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday were in for me, I didn’t want to join Wednesday as I felt that would have been a kick in the teeth to Barnsley, but I felt settled living further north.

“It was the place I wanted to go, and I enjoyed the pressure of it. Not everyone can handle playing in front of 45,000 every week, but I loved it. What a fantastic stage it is to perform on, and we have had some success there too.

“It’s a proper club, and I underestimated it when I first joined, but to get them back in the Premier League was great.”