Joe Ackroyd pens new Barnsley FC contract saying summer signings are learning what club means and all pulling in same direction

Being another year older, wiser for a loan spell in the Czech Republic with MFK Vyskov, and with the club dropping down a division there will hopefully be more on-field opportunities for Ackroyd but as someone born at the town who has been at the club since he was 10 years-old, it is also important he passes on a sense of what it means to be a Red to the new recruits arriving this summer.

"As local lads it means everything to play for the club and pull that shirt on and the new lads are getting involved in everything, meeting up with the supporters and things like that so they're getting an idea of what it means to the town," says Ackroyd, who has signed a new one-year deal.

"As long as the team's doing well, everything's on an up - the town's doing well. As long as we're all winning, it's happy days.

"It's a lot happier environment around the town when the team's doing well.

"All the fans expect 110 per cent effort and for a Barnsley player that's the bare minimum you should expect anyway."

The disaffection from the terraces was audible last season as a team which reached the Championship play-off semi-finals in 2021 finished bottom in 2022 but with a new board, a new manager in Michael Duff and with new signings coming in, this is a fresh start.

"Everybody's trying to buy into restarting again and getting ready for the new season," he says.

"We've got to learn from our mistakes and this is a new season, a fresh start, and we've got to try and put things right this season.

"As long as everyone's pulling in the right direction and giving 110 per cent effort that's all we can ask for.

"It's quite a strong group at the minute, all the seniors are mingling in with the younger lads so I think we'll be a strong, tight-knit group this season."