MICHAEL Duff believes Barnsley fans will soon see that his former player Josh Benson is a ‘very very good footballer’.
Benson is the only current Reds player that new boss Duff has worked with before this week, signing him for Burnley under 23s in 2018 after his release from Arsenal.
Duff then spent four years as Cheltenham manager, almost securing a loan for Benson who instead played briefly for Burnley in the Premier League then moved to Barnsley a year ago.
It was a difficult first season for the the 22-year-old midfielder, who struggled for consistent form in a side that would finish last in the Championship, as well as two bouts of Covid and injuries.
Duff told the Chronicle: “I signed Josh after he got released by Arsenal.
“He’s a very very good footballer as I am sure people will see. He learned the tactical and physical side of the game at Burnley which is why Barnsley paid a lot of money for him. I have not seen him play much recently but I am looking forward to working with him. He will know what’s coming because I am the same now as when I was doing the under 23s. He might not like it, he might be the first one asking to leave. But I had a good working relationship with him at Burnley. Hopefully he understands I tried to help him and he ended up going from a free to a few hundred thousand pound move. Hopefully we can do that with all of them.”
