The decision to sell captain Angus MacDonald to fellow relegation-battlers Hull City was a 'good bit of business' says assistant coach Jamie Clapham.
The centre-back joined in the summer of 2016 from non-league Torquay United and impressed in 39 league starts last season. He was named captain for this current campaign but has struggled to recapture the same form while suspension, injuries and an iron deficiency have restricted him to starting just ten of the Reds' 29 league games.
MacDonald has claimed since he left that he has been ready to play for weeks. The 25-year-old made 54 appearances, scoring twice, and was contracted until 2019. Hull manager Nigel Adkins released MacDonald from Reading in 2013 but has given him a two-and-a-half year contract after paying Barnsley an undisclosed fee. MacDonald has been replaced at Oakwell by Matt Mills.
Clapham said: "Angus was a good servant for the club and I wish him all the best, except against us obviously. I think it was a good bit of business. He wasn't anywhere near ready to play for us and, by moving him on, we have someone who has vast experience and is ready to play. There was no falling out, it was just a decision based on him not being involved."
Hull are 21st, two places and a point behind Barnsley. This is the third consecutive transfer window in which the Reds have sold their captain after Conor Hourihane's move to Aston Villa a year ago then Marc Roberts' summer transfer to Birmingham City. Goalkeeper Adam Davies has been stand-in skipper in MacDonald's absence and is expected to take the armband permanently.
The Reds also received bids for full-back Andy Yiadom but they were well below their asking price and the Ghana international will now complete his contract which is due to expire in the summer. Barnsley also let winger Dylan Mottley-Henry, 20, and striker Jacob Brown, 19, join League Two Chesterfield on loan for the rest of the season.
