George Moncur admits his 'head wasn't right' when he first signed for Barnsley but is now focused on building on his first start for the club in the 3-1 win at Aston Villa on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old, who signed in the summer from Colchester for a reported £550,000, forced a loan move to League One Peterborough in August after not starting in the first few games of Barnsley's season. But he has been back at Oakwell since Christmas and finally made his first Championship start, and his first for four months in any league, in Birmingham in midweek.
After impressing at Villa, Moncur said: "When I first came, I was moving up from the south where I live and it was a shock to me. I wasn't right in my own head and, when I played a few games, I wasn't up to it. I didn't show what I could do. I was low on confidence because I had gone up a league. I thought I would go out on loan to get some games and that started well then went downhill again. It wasn't the best time for me.
"But I know I have to pull my finger out and do something for this Barnsley team. My dad (former West Ham player John Moncur) gets on at me because he has played at the highest level and knows football is a hard game.
"I have my girlfriend up here with me now. I have a new place and I am really settled. I have a different mindset now. I am a lot more focused."
Moncur has played most of his career, in the West Ham youth teams then with AFC Wimbledon, Partick Thistle and Colchester, as an attacking midfielder or striker. But he has been converted into a deeper central midfielder by Reds boss Paul Heckingbottom and his defensive work impressed at Villa Park.
"That is a major part of my game that needs to improve. I have been working on it a lot every day, watching clips and working on the training pitch. You need to work on the things you are not too good at. I was labelled as a luxury player at Colchester but I have had enough of that. What you do off the ball is more important than what you do on the ball and that is what I am working on.
"Tuesday was up there with one of the best nights for me. We came up against a really good team and deserved the three points. We counter-attacked well and, when we are playing like that, I don't think there is any better team in the league. We had great away support and I haven't seen anything like it, especially at Colchester.It meant a lot to me to be back in the side. Hopefully I have done enough to stay in the team and I have taken my opportunity."
Heckingbottom said: "George did well. "He even had time to wink at me on 90 minutes when he was in the wrong position for a corner. He's come back to show what he can do and earn his place in the team. We have given him a hell of a lot of attention and information and, for the majority of the game, his work without the ball – which is what we have questioned – was really, really good. "He's working as hard as he can."
