Barnsley FC deadline-day latest: Former non-league defender Jack Shepherd heads out to League One strugglers on loan

With the club having finalised a deal to bring in another defender Josh Earl and with loanee Jamie McCart likely to be back fit shortly, boss Neill Collins has allowed Shepherd to link up with the Robins to boost his hopes of a regular run of first-team football.

Brought in from eighth-tier non-league outfit Pontefract Collieries, left-sided centre-back Shepherd, who quit his job as a kitchen fitter to pursue his professional football dreams at his hometown club last summer, started the early-season wins at Wigan Athletic and Cheltenham Town, where he impressed.

Having been fast-tracked up a number of levels of football very quickly, Shepherd, a former Penistone Church and Athersley Rec player, has also had some tougher moments and was taken out of the fray for a spell before returning recently to the first-team picture.

But with one eye on his development, the decision has been made to allow him to head to Cheltenham, temporarily.

Speaking about his future on Thursday, Reds head coach Collins had admitted that a loan move to the National League could also have been an option.

He said: "Jack has come back in again and done really well. He has shown signs of the big step he’s made and how well he’s done.

"He’s definitely an important part of the squad, but equally we have always the option of loaning him to the National League as well. The league has improved consistently there.

"If we feel that Jack can develop more by playing some games, we can still use that."

On Shepherd’s move, interim director of football Bobby Hassell, said: “We have been extremely impressed with the attitude and application of Jack since his arrival back in the summer.

"He has made massive strides to come from Step 7 of English football to performing in League One and has surpassed all of our expectations.

"This move allows Jack to continue his development at the same level as Barnsley, furthermore, I have a good relationship with Darrell so am confident that a good environment will be created for Jack to improve.”