Barry Cotter has become Barnsley's first permanent signing of the January transfer window.
The 24-year-old Irish right wing-back joined the Reds from Shamrock Rovers for an undisclosed fee on a three and a half year deal.
He is expected to provide back-up for Jordan Williams who has been the only right wing-back at the club this season, with other players occasionally having to play there out of position.
The League of Ireland season finished in November so Cotter has not played a competitive game for more than two months.
He made his debut in English football against the Reds in April 2018 for Ipswich Town who had signed him from Limerick earlier that year.
His substitution off late on was greeted by boos from the Portman Road crowd which Town manager Mick McCarthy called ‘disgraceful’ before quitting in the post-match press conference in response to a question about it.
Despite impressing on debut, and Ipswich’s relegation to League One the following season, Cotter only made one more substitute appearance for the Tractor Boys.
He was loaned twice to non-league Chelmsford City then released in 2021 and signed for Shamrock.
Cotter was then loaned to St Patrick’s Athletic, scoring twice in 11 games and playing in the Europa Conference League against CSKA Sofia.
