Teenage full-back George Smith says he wants to get the basics right and earn a new long-term contract at Oakwell.
The 18-year-old was thrust into the first-team on Boxing Day at Preston and has kept his place at left-back ever since. It helps that he is the only recognised player in his position at Oakwell – after Joe Dudgeon returned to parent club Hull City – but the academy graduate has not looked out of place.
Penistone lad Smith admits that he had to pinch himself on debut but has settled down since then. His contract runs until the end of the season and the club have entered into very early discussions with his agent over extending it.
He said: "From becoming a player at Barnsley at 12 I've thought 'this is the team I'm going to be supporting.' It's all come thick and fast for me but I just have to keep doing what I've been doing to stay in the team.
"Hopefully they'll look and possibly think I'll get a new contract at some point. It's just a case of keep playing games and leaving that side of things to everybody else. It's the same for any young kid who has come up through the team they have grown up playing for – you want to stay there and play as many games as you can."
Smith earned a reputation in the youth teams as an attacking full-back who likes to get crosses into the box. He feels he will be able to get forward more now that he is gaining experience.
He added: "I think, first and foremost, you're in there to defend. The attacking side of it comes after that. "f there are chances to go forward and put crosses in and create opportunities, it's good to do. You get used to League One and, in the coming games, I want to cause more problems going forward."
