Marley Watkins says a desire to play in the Premier League and for Wales as well as 'uncertainty' at Oakwell has led to him deciding to leave Barnsley this week.
The out-of-contract 26-year-old, who has announced that he has played his last Reds game, says he has had contract offers from several of their Championship rivals and there is an 'outside chance' of the Premier League.
The uncapped Welshman told the Chronicle: "It's been quite emotional leaving but it's a decision I had to make at this stage of my career. Every player wants to play at the top level and I felt this was the best direction to go in to get to the Premier League.
"I also think it will improve my Wales chances. You could see how well Conor Hourihane was playing for Barnsley but he didn't get a call-up for Ireland until he moved to Aston Villa (in January).
"There's also just a bit of uncertainty at Barnsley at the moment. "Of the players who got promoted from League One last season, there are only a few left. The club let a lot of players go in January when we had a chance to do something really special (they were four points off the top six).
"It was a lot to ask to carry on competing for the play-offs after that because it was like starting again. But I appreciate everything Barnsley have done for me. I'll never forget my time there and I'll always be a Reds fan."
Watkins handed in a transfer request in January after hearing of interest from Premier League clubs. He now believes he is most likely to remain in the second tier. He said: "I've had offers from Championship clubs already. I am weighing them up with my family. There's an outside chance of the Premier League but the feeling is that I might need one more year of development in the Championship."
Watkins netted 18 goals in 87 Barnsley games after arriving from Inverness Caledonian Thistle in summer 2015. He said: "It's been a great two years. All the players who I have played with are my mates, and I couldn't have asked for a better bunch of lads. Last season, coming from bottom of the league to getting promotion was incredible and this has been another very good season.
"I have had a special bond with the fans, like a lot of the players. There are no better fans in the country and, when we are playing at home in derbies, it is like having 13 men.
"I have just really enjoyed playing with and playing for good people. Most of the staff are from Barnsley like Hecky (head coach Paul Heckingbottom), the sport scientist Nath (Winder) and the physio Sedgy (Craig Sedgwick). You could see in their eyes before every game what it meant to them. I will miss that and I might not see that at any other club."
Watkins, who has played most of the season on the right wing but prefers being a striker, finished as the top-scorer at Oakwell this season with ten goals, one behind Sam Winnall who left in January. He said: "I believe I can be a 20-goal striker at Championship level. I missed a lot of chances this season, and I was playing on the right wing most of the time, but I still got ten."
As well as Watkins, Josh Scowen may have played his last game for Barnsley. The central midfielder is also out-of-contract and understood to be attracting interest from other clubs. The Reds released a statement this week claiming both players were 'exploring other options' while head coach Heckingbottom has previously told the Chronicle he is 'planning without' them. Scowen, 24, played 108 games for the Reds, scoring 12 goals, after joining from Wycombe Wanderers in January 2015.
