Barnsley FC midfielder Matty Wolfe aims to be loud and proud in new-look Reds side

The emergence onto the scene of the Wakefield-born player was one of the few crumbs of comfort in an eminently forgettable 2021-22 campaign for the Oakwell outfit, which ended in relegation to League One.

Wolfe, who turned 22 in June, signed a new contract at the end of April, having made 16 appearances last term.

In a difficult campaign from a team perspective, it was a personally rewarding moment for the Yorkshireman, mindful that his next step is becoming a fully-fledged first-team regular in a new-look Barnsley line-up under Michael Duff.

He said: "That's what it is about. It is not about having a (personally) good season, it is about kicking on.

"That is something I want to do - and I want to be a bigger part of the team and be louder. I am not a young teenager any more. It is about growing and establishing myself next season."

On channelling the hurt from a bittersweet breakthrough season, which ended in Barnsley dropping into the third tier, he continued: "I suppose there's always positives to take with it being my first season.

"But it still hurts a lot to be relegated. You reflect in the summer and watch the games back and see what you can do (better) as well.

"Because obviously I could have done more as well. Then I have to work hard and kick on from there."

Wolfe's family follow his career every step of the way, most notably his father Paul, a former player on the amateur scene in Wakefield.

He is always there to dispense fatherly advice and plain speaking where it is required.

He added: "After the Huddersfield game (at the end of last season), he said: 'Good players don't have two bad games in a row'.

"I had a stinker, but everyone did.

"He was not hard on me, but said it was not good enough and he said there were some passes I played that were not unusual. But that's football and it is no point worrying about it every day and thinking 'I should have done this and that.'

"It is about moving forward and showing that aggression and management in games."