Barnsley CEO Dane Murphy provides Daryl Dike update

BARNSLEY chief executive officer Dane Murphy has reiterated that star striker Daryl Dike will be available for the club for their play-off campaign next month - after the Reds’ participation in the end-of-season competition was confirmed on Sunday.
Barnsley's Daryl Dike celebrates his goal in last week's win at Huddersfield Town. Picture Tony JohnsonBarnsley's Daryl Dike celebrates his goal in last week's win at Huddersfield Town. Picture Tony Johnson
Barnsley's Daryl Dike celebrates his goal in last week's win at Huddersfield Town. Picture Tony Johnson

Dike, who joined on loan from MLS side Orlando City on the final day of the winter transfer window, has been a revelation since joining the Oakwell outfit - scoring nine times

There had been concerns that the forward could be recalled by his parent club, but Murphy has reassured supporters in that regard - with it deemed as mutually beneficial for the 20-year-old to remain in Yorkshire until Barnsley’s season is over.

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Murphy told The Yorkshire Post: “We have an extension through the end of the season, no matter what that day is. They (Orlando) have a recall that was built into the loan because of their MLS window, which had changed. It was originally May 5.

“Our original loan was until May 2 and May 5 was the time he had to be back (by) before he was not allowed until July to play. They said: ‘Listen, he has to come back by May 5.’

“Now we have got to this point, we have an extension through to the end of our season, but the recall was left there in case we did not make the play-offs.

“As we may need him past the 2nd, we left that in there so that he could come back (if Barnsley did not quality for the top six). Now that we are in the play-offs, we fully expect him to see out the season with us and push us as far as we can go.

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“It has worked out for all three parties as best as it possibly could.

Swansea City’s draw at Reading on Sunday secured a play-off berth for the Reds, in a remarkable transformation of the club’s fortunes after only staying up on the final day of the Championship season in 2019-20 following a dramatic stoppage-time win at Brentford.

Murphy admits that what has happened in the last nine months has been hard to take in.

On his emotions after Barnsley's top-six place was confirmed on Sunday, he added: “The first thing that popped in my head was Brentford last year and Clarke (Oduor) scoring that goal and what has happened since then with summer plans, bringing summer recruits in and Gerhard (Struber) having the start of the season and Valerien (Ismael) coming in.

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“It was hard for me to process we had that moment on the last day of last season and now we are here.

“You try and think about everything in between and you just cannot. I don’t think I have truly wrapped my head around it yet. Emotionally, it has been a rollercoaster past 18 months.”

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