Derby encounters fuelling Pedersen’s desire to remain

Barnsley striker Marcus Pedersen hopes his Oakwell loan can help clinch him a permanent deal to stay in England.
Marcus PedersenMarcus Pedersen
Marcus Pedersen

The 23-year-old has impressed Reds manager David Flitcroft since arriving in South Yorkshire on a season-long loan from Dutch side Vitesse Arnhem.

The Norwegian cracked in a superb individual goal to earn Barnsley a share of the spoils in Saturday’s derby with Sheffield Wednesday.

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After shaking off a foot injury, picked up on international duty, the striker is now close to full fitness and Pedersen hopes his Oakwell displays will secure a long-term contract over here.

His goal on Saturday, when he smashed home the opener after his initial ferocious attempt had hit the woodwork, certainly hinted at Premier League quality and he is swiftly becoming a fans’ favourite at Oakwell.

“I had a few options after the Under-21 Championships and felt it was good for me to get to know English football. I thought Barnsley was a good club to start at,” said Pedersen.

“I hope I am growing as a football player and a person here, and will hopefully stay in England.

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“Being in England, it’s a little bit tougher on the field, but outside it is almost the same. I get visits from my family. I am 23 now so shouldn’t be living at home.

“I didn’t know much about Barnsley, but it felt right when I spoke to the gaffer. It just felt right for me and I am happy with that choice.”

If Pedersen was unaware of the feisty nature of Yorkshire derbies, successive home games against Middlesbrough, which Barnsley won 3-2 after being 3-0 ahead at the break, and Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Wednesday have certainly given him a crash course on county rivalries.

One heated exchange with Wednesday’s Reda Johnson had the players touching foreheads, and their yellow cards could easily have been red.

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“It’s always fun to play a derby,” said Pedersen, whose only other goal for the Reds also came in a Yorkshire encounter, the 2-1 win over Huddersfield Town.

“Of course you want to get three points, but you can see it was a classic derby, a lot of duels.”

Perdersen’s strike was a potential goal of the season. He received the ball after a mistake from Reda Johnson, and saw his initial shot hammer against Chris Kirkland’s left-hand post.

David Fox picked up the rebound and fed it back to Pedersen. His first touch flicked the ball up into the air, and he then drilled a volley over bewildered Kirkland.

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“We didn’t get the ball on the ground as we normally do, but I think we are on a run and will take some confidence from this game,” reflected Pedersen, who has played at all international levels for his country, including having earned four full caps from the start of this year.

It could have been five against Iceland this month after receiving a late call-up, but Pedersen decided to stay at Oakwell and continue his recovery from a gash on his ankle.

“It’s been a tough season,” he reflects about his time at Oakwell so far.

“We had not got the results we wanted, but we got three points against Middlesbrough and one against Wednesday, so, hopefully, we go to Ipswich with a little bit more confidence.”

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Their trip to Portman Road is on Friday night and Pedersen – who has started back-to-back games after his injury travails – has been surprised by the competitive nature of the Championship, which sees the Reds next to bottom, just one point ahead of the Owls, who have a game in hand.

“It was frustrating being injured. I felt I had a good start, and it was a stupid injury,” he said.

“I couldn’t do anything about it,” he said. “I feel now I am almost 100 per cent back, but still need to improve my fitness.

“The Championship has surprised me a little bit. There are a lot of good clubs and every game is tough.

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“We all knew there were going to be some tough games in Barnsley’s start to the season, but we have worked hard on the training pitch and now we are starting to get points. We are growing as a team and it should be good in the next few games.”

Pedersen has formed an impressive partnership with Chris O’Grady in Barnsley’s attack.

Powerful O’Grady is proving a top target man for the Reds and his hold-up play allows Pedersen time to seek gaps in opposition defences.

“I feel we fit together. I am a little bit more of the striker who goes in behind the defence, while Chris is strong and can hold the ball, while he can also score goals,” said Pedersen.

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Barnsley manager Flitcroft has been delighted with Pedersen’s impact and was full of praise for his strike in Saturday’s derby.

“His goal was Premier League class,” enthused Flitcroft. “Marcus is going to get fitter and better. He causes defenders no end of problems.

“He’s always trying to get in on the other side of the defender. He’s dangerous and when he smells that danger there is a real desire to score goals. It is a unique quality to have.”

Flitcroft will be seeking more of the same on Friday when victory would take the Reds out of the drop zone.