The midfielder has signed a multi-year deal with the club, which also sees him become a first team coach alongside playing for the Tykes. It is expected that he’ll transition to become full-time in that role further down the line.
Fresh off of the back of captaining Derby County to promotion to the Championship, the signing of Conor Hourihane is certainly a statement of intent on Barnsley’s side. He’d finish the League One season with five goals and eight assists and has shown no signs of slowing down despite now being 33.
A familiar face at Oakwell, the Irishman would enjoy a fine stint with the club between 2014 and 2017. He’d end up playing for the Tykes over 130 times across all competitions, putting up 31 goals and 48 assists during that time. His quite spectacular performances for Barnsley helped them reach the Championship after gaining promotion via the League One play-offs during the 2015/16 season.
He would be the first to lift the trophy and lead the team out at Wembley. He would depart midway through the next season to sign for a substantial price at Aston Villa, but he will always hold a particular place in the hearts of the supporters.
But Hourihane would first become well-known at Plymouth Argyle, where from 2011 to 2014 he was a constant in their League Two starting eleven. He rose to prominence in the Pilgrims’ engine room and never quite looked back, eventually becoming the man in charge of the Tykes. He would make his reputation in Devon, but it would be in Yorkshire that he would actually become well-known.
He would be the first to lift the trophy and lead the team out at Wembley. He would depart midway through the next season to sign for a substantial price at Aston Villa, but he will always hold a particular place in the hearts of the supporters.
But Hourihane would first become well-known at Plymouth Argyle, where from 2011 to 2014 he was a constant in their League Two starting eleven. He rose to prominence in the Pilgrims’ engine room and never quite looked back, eventually becoming the man in charge of the Tykes. He would make his reputation in Devon, but it would be in Yorkshire that he would actually become well-known.
We’re all excited about this day, and having Conor’s familiarity with the building will be really helpful. Conor has played in over 600 games at every level, including the Premier League and Ireland’s international team. As a result, he has seen it all in the game, making him an excellent coach and a valuable mentor for our young team. What makes this trade even better is that he will still be a player I can rely on. The hard work of pre-season planning is already well started. As soon as we met last week, I knew this is someone I would be happy to have into my staff and into my squad.
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