Barnsley will begin their campaign at Bristol City with a number of new faces in their squad, but will do so without influential centre half Marc Roberts, who departed the club earlier in the summer to join Harry Redknapp’s revolution at Birmingham.

Barnsley boss Paul Heckingbottom moved to replace the defender by bringing in young Scot Liam Lindsay from Partick Thistle, and the 21-year-old looks set for an extremely bright future in the English game.

Heckingbottom may feel however that the young man needs a more seasoned head alongside him next semester, and should be in the market to bolster his backline again as he looks to improve upon the 67 goals the Tykes conceded last time out.

One man who may fit the bill is Burnley’s Kevin Long, with the Irishman set for a move away from Turf Moor this summer having made just three Premier League appearances for the Clarets last season.

Long has been with the club since moving to Lancashire from Cork City in 2010, but has made just 25 league outings in seven long years.

Making his debut for the Irish national team earlier this year, Long will know that he needs first team action if he is to continue his run in Martin O’Neil’s side, and a move to Oakwell would provide him with the perfect platform from which more caps can be gathered.

At the age of 26, Long is entering the peak years of his career, and becoming an essential first team starter is exactly what he needs.

Moving to Barnsley would provide the player with this opportunity, and Heckingbottom’s side would be massively strengthened by the arrival of the player.

Would you like to see Long partner Lindsay next season, Barnsley fans?