Football Today: News, gossip & more '“ Best yet for Barnsley, says Hammill | Lavery closes on Blades debut | Leeds close in on '˜sporting director'

Hammill scored his second goal of the season in the stunning 4-0 win at Wolves on Tuesday night and believes Paul Heckingbottom’s team are capable of springing plenty more surprises on their first season back in the Championship..

“To get on the score-sheet and on an old hunting ground,” said Hammill.

“It’s great for me on a personal level but more importantly it was a great team performance

“You only need to look at the impact of the subs tonight to see just how much depth we have available to us now. And the new lads are coming into a great group.

“This is definitely the best team I’ve been involved with. It’s not just the squad, it’s the staff and the whole club, it’s such a good setup and the feel-good factor has just remained since the achievements of last season. We need to maintain that momentum.”

Leeds United are thought to be close to appointing Italian Francesco Marroccu as their new director of football, according to reports in Italy.

Maroccu was sat alongside Leeds owner Massimo Cellino during Saturday’s 1-0 derby defeat to Huddersfield Town and is also believed to have been present at Tuesday night’s 2-1 win at home to Blackburn Rovers.

Reports in Italy have also suggested that Marroccu has been present at training for a number of days during the past week, watching manager Garry Monk put his players through their paces.

Caolan Lavery is closing in his senior debut for Sheffield United after starting in the Professional Development League defeat by Coventry City on Tuesday at the Steelphalt Academy.

Lavery can expect to be named in the Blades squad to host Peterborough on Saturday providing he has come through Tuesday’s outing without any problems.

“We want Caolan to be as sharp as possible before he gets involved,” manager Chris Wilder said after watching the 23-year-old forward run out at the Steephalt Academy.

“He won’t be 100 per cent match fit, but it’s important, for him and for us, that he is as close to it as he can be.”

And from a little further afield ...

Defender Lamine Kone has signed a new five-year contract with Sunderland.

Ivory Coast international Kone, 27, had been a target for rivals Everton during the summer transfer window.

Despite the player making a transfer request in a bid to force the move through, the £14m deal was blocked by Black Cats boss David Moyes who could not bring in a suitable replacement.

Kone, though, has now seen his future resolved, putting pen to paper on a deal which will keep him at the Stadium of Light until 2021.