Herbie Kane is a very intriguing case in terms where his career path lies from here after seemingly falling out of favour at Barnsley.

The 23-year-old made 24 league appearances for the Tykes as they achieved a fifth placed finish under Valerien Ismael in 2020/21.

Therefore, he would have expected to be a valued squad player at least heading into 2022/23, especially with the sharp drop-off in performances and results the club suffered.

Kane would have been a great player to have this season at Oakwell, but instead he was an instrumental deep lying playmaker for Oxford United as they narrowly missed out on the play-off places in League One.

The Liverpool academy graduate should be playing in the Championship, with regularity, at this stage of his career, but with two years left on his contract it is probably worth keeping him around as a key part of the Tykes' promotion bid next season.

Kane suits a possession-based style of play, and therefore it could depend on what new manager walks through the door at Oakwell in terms of where his future lies.

He is a very easy-on-the-eye ball playing midfielder, and for that reason the 23-year-old will be on the radars of second tier clubs this summer.

The ball is in Barnsley's court as to how they want to treat him as an asset.

It could be a difficult summer window for the Tykes, with some of their key players looking for a move following relegation, it is more likely than not, that the new manager appreciates Kane's skillset and keeps him at the club as an integral part of their plans moving forward.

Should credible interest arise, the Tykes are in a strong position with two years left on Kane's deal and so under the right manager his immediate future lies in trying to get Barnsley promoted, with speculation around his future set to crop up again if it becomes clear that a return to the Championship at the first time of asking is not on the cards.