Barnsley find themselves in the Sky Bet Championship during the 2019/20 season, with Gerhard Struber hoping to keep the Tykes afloat and avoid an instant return to the third-tier.  

Given Barnsley’s tendency to yo-yo between the Championship and League One, the playing squad at Oakwell has seen a lot of change over the years.

A number of good players have been and gone, whilst others have arrived and not quite made the grade in South Yorkshire.

Some have gone on to forge decent career elsewhere, but others have taken an unfamiliar path.

With that in mind, we take a look at FIVE players whose paths might surprise you…

Kieran Trippier

 

Trippier was on loan at Barnsley between 2010 and 2011.

Since then, he’s excelled with Burnley, made a name for himself with Tottenham and England, helping his country to the last four of the 2018 World Cup.

Now, he’s in La Liga with Atletico Madrid, trying to crack Spain.

Tom Williams

 

Williams spent a year at Oakwell during the 2004/05 season.

His career since then has sent him to the likes of Swansea, QPR, Preston and Bristol City, but currently he’s with Hashtag United.

He’s been with the Essex Senior League club since 2018, on the back of them being founded in 2016.

Ricardo Vaz Te

 

Vaz Te’s spell with Barnsley is best remembered for a hat-trick he scored against Leeds United.

Since leaving Oakwell, the Portuguese youth international won a promotion with West Ham and played for them in the Premier League, but the 33-year-old’s career has naturally declined.

Currently, he’s playing for Qingdao Huanghai in China and has scored two goals in a handful of games.

Saidy Janko

 

Janko made 14 appearances whilst on loan at Barnsley during the 2016/17 campaign.

He’s had another spell in England since then with Nottingham Forest, but his list of other clubs post-Oakwell make impressive reading.

He’s played for St Étienne, Porto and is currently with BSC Young Boys, who he has played in the Champions League and Europa League for this season.

Marcus Tudgay

Tudgay built his career in England around spells with Derby County, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday, but he passed through Oakwell on loan between 2012 and 2014.

He played for Coventry over a three-year period, but since then he’s moved down into non-league and is currently with South Normanton Athletic.