Brad Collins is ‘special goalkeeper’ for Barnsley

That is the view of Reds assistant head coach Jo Laumann and while the club’s start to the Championship season has not been straightforward and underwhelming in certain aspects, the sparkling form of Collins has been wonderfully consistent.

Amid a disrupted opening to the campaign also not helped by key players being injured – allied to a lack of goals – Collins’s importance has been magnified and he has not been found wanting.

Laumann, speaking ahead of the Reds’ trip to Blackpool, said: “He is a special goalkeeper. He is not showing this for one time in his life as this is his quality. We see it every day and this is what he can give us. We have it with both goalkeepers and trust them.

“Last year we had Jack (Walton) in goal and he was superb and Brad Collins comes with a different quality and we believe in both and Brad is something special. This is the bar he can set.”

Barnsley head across the Pennines in search of their first league victory in seven matches, but Laumann is quick to stress that the emergence of some young players onto the first-team scene is not without merit.

Among that number is Jasper Moon, who has already made key strides this term by way of three successive league starts since the last international window.

Laumann added: “He is developing great. Towards the end of last season, he stepped into the team and was good in the training sessions and started in the cup against Norwich.

“Now, he is playing this year and it feels like he has been playing for fifty games, so he is really maturing in his personality on the pitch.

“It is a great thing for someone from the academy to step into the first team and a great sign with his performances so far.”