Barnsley FC striker Stephen Humphrys' words of 'wisdom' to stricken car-share mate and a revealing insight into Darrell Clarke

Barnsley duo Stephen Humphrys and Georgie Gent are no different.

The two Lancashire lads, who live within about 10 minutes of each other in Greater Manchester, car-share to training at Oakwell from across the Pennines.

On another day, Monday morning would have seen Gent, a young professional early in his career, bask in the glow of his maiden goal for his club – always a big moment – in last weekend’s dramatic win over Lincoln City with his fellow passenger.

Such is football life that things were somewhat different.

After netting soon after the restart, Gent, a summer signing from Blackburn, came off with an Achilles injury in the final 10 minutes.

It didn’t just end his participation on the day, but his season. His day was fateful in more ways than one.

Humphrys feels for his mate more than most.

In his role as a senior professional, he has dispensed a fair bit of advice to Gent on those car journeys, so much so that they share a running joke about his ‘wisdom’. He might come into his own in the weeks ahead.

Humphrys told The Yorkshire Post: “I was at exactly the same age as him when I had my facial injury, which put me out for the season. I did it around a similar time. At the time, I thought 'my career was over, I am done’. I have done so much more since then.

“It’s just reassuring him that as long as you do the right things in your recovery, you will be back and stronger than ever. There’s lessons to be learnt and he’s got to use this time to watch his clips back and research in the best way to get his injury right.

“There’s never a good time to do it, but maybe this is the 'best' time as hopefully he will be back in the next pre-season and has got the summer to get his injury right.

“He could have done it at the start of this season or next, which is a whole season (out). Hopefully, he’ll only miss eight weeks of football and there’s always positives to everything.”

Candid and engaging in his dealings with the media, Humphrys is at a stage of his career at 27 where seniority sits well with him.

A forceful personality – his sporting hero is US golf maverick Bryson DeChambeau – who has seen plenty of the slings and arrows of of what football has to offer, the forward is in a good moment at Barnsley.

He may not have scored since mid-November, but his role in the frontline has changed and his recent performances have been strong and selfless and point to his well-being. ‘Outstanding’ is the word head coach Darrell Clarke recently used for a player who overcame a bout of illness which knocked him for six earlier in the winter.

In terms of respect for his manager, Humphrys is unequivocal.

The ex-Wigan player added: “I get on with literally everyone and there’s no cliques at this club and everyone is all singing from the same hymn sheet and pushing towards the same target and we’re all desperate to get in the play-offs.

“People are going to fall out, that’s the nature of the game and people want to win.

“Sometimes, you can have disagreements, but this is where the manager comes in and this manager has been brilliant with keeping the group level and together and making subs and starting 11 players feel important.

“He is a very good man-manager. I won’t mention what they are, but there’s been situations this season that have tested him and the very next day, it's as if nothing has happened and everyone has forgotten about it and moved on and it’s back to being focused on the next game, which I think is testament to being a good man-manager.

“It’s making lads feel that if something might have gone on and you might not be happy, let's put it to the side and focus on the goal. That's what he has done well.”

As for his own leadership qualities, they were forged amid a testing time at Wigan, where off-the-field uncertainty was part of the story, alongside some on-pitch success.

The Oldham-born player left there last summer after budget cuts saw him offered terms which he viewed to be unacceptable.

He continued: “I was only 26 last season, but the group at Wigan was so young that I kind of just had to step up with older players such as Josh Magennis, Charlie Wyke and Jordan Jones and people like that.

“It was more of a natural thing to step up and set me up well coming into this group, again being one of the senior pros.

“It kind of comes naturally to me. I don’t try to be a leader. I think Marc Roberts is also such a great leader (here), but doesn’t try to be.

“He does what he does right on and off the pitch and genuinely cares about winning and his team-mates playing well. As long as you genuinely care and want to do the right things, then it will be perceived as being a leader.”