Barnsley FC captain Alex Mowatt on his future

Mowatt, out of contract in June, has been at the heartbeat of the Reds’ outstanding qualification for the Championship play-offs in 2020-21 with his performances recognised by way of earning a richly-deserved place in the division’s Team of the Year at an awards ceremony on Thursday evening.

The midfielder has been in talks with the Oakwell hierarchy about extending his time at the club, but there has been no agreement as yet and the 26-year-old’s is focusing all of his energies on pitch matters and aiming to follow in the footsteps of former Reds skipper and legend Neil Redfearn and leading Barnsley to the top flight for just the second time in their history.

He said: “To be honest, everything has just been pushed aside now.

“It is just getting the season (over) and everyone is focused on promotion and that is what we want to do and then everything will get spoken about after.”

Meanwhile, Mowatt has revealed his pride at earning a place in the second-tier Team of the Year.

It follows on securing recognition in the League One yearly line-up during the club’s promotion from the third tier in 2018-19.

Many felt that several other Reds players and head coach Valerien Ismael were worthy of a place in this season’s line-up and Mowatt is certainly of that view.

He said: “Definitely. A few of the other lads could have got in the team and deserved to be as well.

"When the gaffer came in, we were near the bottom of the table and the job he has done has been unbelievable and now we are in the play-offs. The gaffer deserves to be in there as well, if I am honest.

“This (season) is the biggest achievement in my career so far. But the job is not done and we want to get promoted now and have got a great opportunity.

“We have come so far and are in the play-offs and anything can happen in the play-offs and we will be giving everything we have got to show that we get promoted.”

In the here and now, Barnsley face a Preston side who hammered them 5-1 on the Reds’ last visit to Deepdale in October, 2020 - a fateful afternoon which proved the final game in charge for Daniel Stendel with the visitors seeking to lay a ghost tomorrow.

Mowatt added: “I remember that game and one of the worst games that I think I have played in.

“It was a bad day and hopefully we can put it right.”