What Conor Hourihane said on Barnsley job prospects before being offered Tykes position | OneFootball

FLW takes a look back at what Hourihane had previously said on the prospect of being offered the Tykes job full-time before being named as head coach.

Barnsley have promoted Conor Hourihane from interim head coach, to now taking on that role on a permanent basis at Oakwell.

The news of his position becoming a full-time one was announced via the club's website on Good Friday, in what is the next chapter in the Tykes' managerial history.

He'd previously been appointed to the role as interim head coach following the departure of Darrell Clarke in mid-March, and the former Republic of Ireland international has now been entrusted to lead the club into the future, as he penned a two-year contract with the option of a third year.

“It’s pretty emotional, to be honest. I’m really honoured," the 34-year-old would say on his permanent appointment.

"I had success as captain, and now I want success as a head coach - it’s as simple as that. I want to win football matches more than anyone. Step by step, the ultimate goal is to have success.”

What Conor Hourihane said on the possibility of becoming Barnsley's full-time head coach prior to being offered the role

Immediately after taking on the role as interim head coach following Clarke's departure in March, Hourihane was quick to praise the former Tykes boss for handing him the chance to make his return to Oakwell in the first place.

Hourihane said: "Really disappointing for Darrell. Obviously, it's never nice when someone loses their job. I want to thank him personally for the opportunity he gave me to come back to the club.

"The roles and responsibilities he gave me over the course of the time we've worked together has been brilliant for me in terms of my development. A big thanks to him from me personally and I wish him all the best.

"Moving forward, it's never easy, when someone loses their job, but he's been brilliant with me from day one since I've come in. I'd like to put on record, really, my thanks towards him."

The Irishman would then make it clear how much taking on a coaching role with Barnsley meant to him, describing the moment he got the phone call and how he left what he was doing at the drop of a hat to link up with the squad.

"It's been a whirlwind," he would say. "I was in St George's Park on a course day today, got a phone call earlier on in the day to let me know the news and how it was going to go.

"Really grateful for the club for the opportunity. I came straight up here, left the course there, and it's time to get down to work and hit the opportunity head on."

Hourihane was full of praise for Barnsley supporters upon joining the club's coaching team

Hourihane was a real fan favourite with the Barnsley supporters during his time with the club as a player, and he was quick to pay homage to those fans upon his return to the club.

"The fans, what they mean to me, the club, the opportunity, the past that we've had before," Hourihane said.

"They've always been unbelievable with me, and they still are to this day. You know, I'll treat the opportunity with the utmost hard work, respect standards demand, and hopefully I'll give them some good results on the pitch.

"I'm sure they'll be right behind me from the get go, and we've always had a great relationship, a close relationship over the years, even when I wasn't at the club. And I know without even asking them, that they'll give me my full support, and they'll be right behind me."

Hourihane seemingly predicted his own permanent head coach appointment

Speaking with BBC Sheffield via Football Heaven on X on 17 April, the day before he was appointed as the club's new permanent head coach, Hourihane delivered a confident press conference that seemed to suggest he knew something was on the cards.

Hourihane said: "Time will tell, I suppose. I'm very much process-driven."

When questioned about whether he'd heard anything from the club in terms of his chances of becoming the new full-time Barnsley boss, Hourihane replied: "No, not necessarily.

"All I know is that they've been very happy with the work since day one. They understand that some of the performances have been good, but unlucky in some moments in the games as well.

"That's the feedback I've kept getting over the course of the last three or four weeks. Obviously the Bolton game they were delighted with, but they believed that was on the way off the back of what they were seeing prior to that."