Barnsley have been a 'yo-yo' side in recent years, constantly enjoying promotion to the Championship before suffering relegation back to League One.

However, this season has shown there are signs the Tykes could make this stint in the second-tier of English football longer than their last. Manager Daniel Stendel did not lose a home game in the 2018/2019 season as his team saw off competition from both Sunderland and Portsmouth to gain the second automatic promotion place in League One.

The German has impressed in his first season managing in England and his long-term goal may be to emulate the successes of his fellow compatriots David Wagner and Daniel Farke who achieved promotion to the Premier League with Huddersfield and Norwich.

 

However, before the Tykes start thinking beyond playing in the Championship, they must look to hold on to their key assets.

Here are some of the players who will be key for them next season...

Cauley Woodrow

The 24-year-old striker scored 19 goals for the Tykes last season and was one of the stars of Stendel's promotion-winning side. The forward has just extended his contract until 2022 so fans will be seeing plenty more of him. Woodrow was tipped for the top when he was with Fulham but struggled for regular game time. However, he has been a revelation in South Yorkshire and will need to keep firing on the same level next season.

Kieffer Moore

Like Woodrow, Moore also netted 19 times for the Tyke last season, which is perhaps even more impressive considering he missed a chunk of the season after getting injured in February.

Moore was the subject of interest from Championship club Bristol City in January and it is likely the striker could attract more interest this summer from the Robins.

Barnsley will be desperate to hold on to their star man and a strike-force of Moore and Woodrow could cause several defences problems in the Championship.

Alex Mowatt

Mowatt joined Barnsley having played over 100 Championship games for Yorkshire rivals Leeds United. Despite being part of the relegated squad in the 2017/2018 season, Mowatt's contribution of eight goals and seven assists earned him a place in the League One PFA team of the year along with four of his teammates.

Mowatt's previous Championship experience will be vital for the Tykes as they look to stay in the division next season.