Cameron McGeehan is confident he can keep his place in the Barnsley starting line-up despite the return of Kenny Dougall from injury.
The 23-year-old has made just 18 league starts since joining the Reds at the start of last season, but half of them have come in the last nine matches, mostly in the absence of Dougall who, along with Alex Mowatt, were the first choice central midfielders for the first three months of the season.
All three of them played together in a 4-1-4-1 formation during the 2-0 win over Peterborough on Wednesday as Dougall was used in front of the back four which allowed McGeehan and scorer Mowatt to go forward more.
McGeehan told the Chronicle: “Me and Kenny are different types of players so it’s whatever suits the manager in each game. I am more of a goal-scoring, attacking midfielder but Kenny brings a lot of quality and he’s played abroad.
"I enjoy working with other players and I am learning off him and Al. It will be good to have him back, as long as he doesn’t take my place in every game. Maybe there is a place for both of us in the team with different shapes and formations.”
McGeehan scored the winner during an impressive display in the 1-0 win at Blackpool on Saturday. He said: “It might be my best game for the club. I’m always happy if I score. It’s the longest run of starts I’ve had since my long-term injury and it’s what I needed. I feel my confidence growing and I am understanding what the manager wants and he is understanding what I’m about.”
This time last year, McGeehan was not getting in Barnsley’s matchday squads in the Championship and was about to be loaned out to Scunthorpe United, where he was also mainly a substitute in League One. He admits he was not fully fit following a leg break in January 2017.
He said: “It’s definitely been up and down. It’s been tough mentally, moving away to a new place and being in and out of the team. But I have had a lot of support from my family. I have learned a lot under different managers and I am getting my confidence back and playing well so I am really happy.”
McGeehan’s leg was broken on January 2 last year while playing for Luton Town, where Barnsley are due to return on January 1 next year to face the in-form Hatters who are currently in the second automatic promotion place.
“Since we beat them, they have have been on an unbelievable run. It will be a big game but we’ve done well against the big teams so hopefully that can carry on.
“We believe we are definitely up there with the best teams in the league. We should have more points than we have got but the table doesn’t matter at Christmas, we will keep pushing for an automatic place. It’s going to be a hard fight but we’re in a good position.”
