Humble Barnsley boss Markus Schopp makes good first impressions at Oakwell

While Valerien Ismael may have been viewed as the equivalent of ‘The Special One’ by many Reds fans in his short time at Oakwell, his Austrian replacement is more akin to ‘The Normal One’ – a famous phrase Jurgen Klopp used to describe himself.

On the early impact of Schopp, Morris told The Yorkshire Post: “He is a lovely guy and you cannot say a bad word about him so far.

“We get the ball down in training and pump it about with the same intensity we had last year. It is really enjoyable.

“He takes training well and you also know he’s quite open to ideas in terms of what times we have breakfast as lads travel in from afar. You get some managers who rule with an iron fist sometimes, but he just seems like a humble, down-to-earth human being and that is the type of manager I love working for.

“He is a ‘door-is-always-open’ kind of guy.”

Meanwhile, Morris has paid tribute to Ismael and outgoing captain Alex Mowatt following their departure to West Brom.

He continued: “He (Ismael) helped develop a lot of players and it does not go untouched. He put a message in the group chat and I messaged him privately to wish him all the best. It is sad, but it’s part and parcel of football and something you get used to.

“Alex is a great guy and fantastic captain and he is one of those who you would follow through the ‘Gates of Hell’. You know he’d want to run through a door for you, so you’d do it for him.

“It will be difficult (without him); he is still a great character and friend. But we have got quality in this squad and we will find a way to adapt and find a way through.”