The best Barnsley graduates

The academy system at Oakwell has boasted some incredible talent, from the very start. Today I shall go through some of the most notable people to spend their late teens in S71. This list is in no order, as it is hard to judge playing ability from completely different eras!

John Stones

Perhaps the most notable player in recent years, ‘Stonesy’ progressed through the ranks at Oakwell and he signed his first professional contract with the club in December 2011. It only took three months before he would make his debut for the first team, a second half substitute in a 4-0 defeat to Reading at Oakwell. He operated at right-back and center-back in his brief time at Oakwell, and Premier League outfit Everton quickly snapped up the Penistone youngster in January 2013. John went from strength to strength, and he became the second most expensive defender in the world in 2016, joining Manchester City for £47.5 million. He has gone on to win four league titles, two league cups, and an FA cup for the sky blues, proving a pivotal piece to Pep Guardiola’s puzzle. He is a regular within Gareth Southgate’s England squad, reaching a World-Cup semi-final and a Euro’s final with the Three Lions. Stones is commonly regarded as one of the best defenders in the country– not bad for a lad from Barnsley.

Mick McCarthy

‘Big Mick’ joined the Tykes as an apprentice in 1975, after previously playing for local sides Worsborough Bridge and Barnsley Boys. He famously ‘knocked on the club's door’ to seal his place at Barnsley Football Club, and what a decision that was! A strong central defender, who never ran away from physicality, he was an ever-present for the Reds in his six years in South Yorkshire. He moved on to pastures new in 1983, joining fellow second division side Manchester City (which seems to be a theme with Barnsley defenders). He tasted the top flight for the first time after gaining promotion with City, and would have two seasons in the old first division, before moving on to Celtic (following City’s relegation). He would go on to earn 57 caps for the Republic of Ireland, and spells at Lyon and Millwall would follow. But it was in management where Mick flourished. Successful spells managing Sunderland, Wolves and Ireland would cement Mick’s place as a footballing legend in this country, and across the Irish sea.

Dave Watson

Goalkeeper Dave Watson excelled through the youth ranks at Barnsley, and found himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for his hometown club, after signing a professional contract in 1992. Most notably, Watson would be Barnsley’s goalkeeper during their first (and only) season in the Premier League, he made some stunning saves and could take pride in his performances, despite relegation. He earned 11 caps in the England youth set-up, and could have become a regular for the English first-team. However, a devastating knee injury against Norwich City in September 1998 proved hard to recover from. Despite numerous attempts to return to football, Watson prematurely retired in 2001. He made 200 appearances for the club, which could’ve been doubled if not for the horror injury. He is now a goalkeeping coach, currently on the books at Premier League outfit Southampton. He most notably had four years in charge of the England goalkeepers, overseeing the 2012 Euro’s, 2014 World Cup and 2016 Euro’s.

Carl Tiler

Not the first name that springs to mind when you recall Barnsley graduates, but Carl Tiler certainly has a place in my list, in no small part to David Wood who provided me with a very interesting fact. 6’2-inch Tiler signed professionally with the Reds in 1988, his impressive form would attract copious amounts of interest from top flight outfits. In 1991, a certain Brian Clough forked out £1.4 million for the defender, to bring him to Nottingham. The transfer fee would then go on to pay for Barnsley’s East-Stand, which is still the biggest stand at Oakwell. Life at the City Ground started well for Tiler, and despite a season-ending injury and a relegation from the Premier League in 1993, he had a solid playing career across nine different clubs.

Nicky Eaden Another one of the boys to progress through the ranks and reach the top with the Tykes, Nicky perhaps had the most difficult journey to becoming a professional on this list. He was initially not offered a place at the club, after leaving school in 1989. But the decision was reversed later that year, and Eaden signed a professional contract in 1991. His career didn’t start as strong as he would’ve hoped, and Barnsley manager Mel Machin was critical of Eaden. By pure luck, Machin resigned before he had the chance to release Eaden, and assistant manager Eric Winstanley urged the board to offer him a new deal. Under the tenure of Danny Wilson, he became ever-present in the side that would eventually climb its way to the Premier League. As is well documented, Barnsley succumbed to relegation after just one season in the Premiership, but Eaden didn’t leave straight away. He eventually left for Birmingham City in 2000, after being unable to agree terms on a new deal at Oakwell. He went on to make a further 257 appearances across the Football League and Premier League, and would eventually retire in 2009. He is now back at Barnsley, developing more young talent in the academy.

So that’s my list of five players who came through the Oakwell academy. I have missed out some incredible talent, however I wanted to blend interesting backstories with a good career. I find it interesting that all of the players on this list, and a majority of others who just missed out, were defenders. Perhaps this embodies the local area and epitomises what life in Barnsley is like. There is no finesse, there is no wow-factor, you just go to a football pitch and give 200% every single time. You may not be the most gifted athlete, nor the most technically sound. But you’ve got a heart of steel and you would risk life and limb to earn three points for your team. A majority of the players on this list would have parents who were sent down to the coal mines or in the fields to earn enough money to feed their army of siblings, running around a pitch and heading a football is nothing. I look forward to seeing what the next generation of Barnsley youth prospects are like, whether they will have the same trait as the majority of the famous sons and daughters of Barnsley, who were born between 1940 and 1995.