Barnsley midfielder Alex Mowatt has claimed his time at Leeds United was “a bit crazy” ahead of his meeting with his former side on the weekend.
The Leeds academy graduate joined Barnsley in January 2017 and has become a key figure for the Tykes in recent years.
The 24-year-old played an integral role in the Yorkshire club’s promotion from League One last season, featuring in every league game and providing eight goals and six assists.
Ahead of Leeds’ visit to Oakwell on Sunday, Mowatt opened up on his time at Elland Road and revealed how unstable things were under the ownership of Massimo Cellino.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “It was a bit crazy.
“We had about seven managers in two or three seasons. That made it hard to settle.
“You were always trying to impress someone new. Then they brought in a load of Italian players and wanted them to play.
“It wasn’t easy but being a young player, I don’t think you look into it as much as the older lads did.”
Mowatt appears to look back on his time at the club positively, particularly the opportunities that he and other young players were given.
He said: “Players might be good somewhere else, playing well in the academy, but they never get a chance.
“At Leeds, they do. They give you a proper chance.”
The midfielder added that the speed with which he was sold to Barnsley came as a real surprise to him.
He explained: “I wasn’t expecting to leave and it happened in a couple of days – four, five days tops.
"That was it, I was gone. It was a shock. At the time Garry said he didn’t want me to go and he wasn’t happy about it but it was done so quick.”
The Verdict
Mowatt will undoubtedly be looking to have a big contribution against his former club on Saturday.
He seems to hold no hard feelings about his exit but part of him will surely be looking to prove to them that it was a mistake to let him go.
Barnsley have not had a bad start to the season and are out of the relegation zone but you feel this is going to be a really tough test for Daniel Stendel’s side, especially given the Whites have won all of their away games this season.