Tykes move to appoint Robins boss
CHELTENHAM Town have received an approach for manager Michael Duff from Barnsley, Gloucestershire Live understands.
Former Robins star Martin Devaney has been in caretaker charge at Oakwell since the departure of Poya Asbaghi on April 24. Barnsley were relegated from the Championship after finishing bottom and the South Yorkshire club will return to League One next season after three seasons in the second tier.
Duff has been in charge of Cheltenham since September 2018, leading them to the League Two title in 2020/21 and then guiding them to their highest ever finish of 15th in League One in 2021/22. His current contract at Whaddon Road runs to the end of next season, although talks have started over an extension. A relatively modest compensation fee would be required should he decide to join Barnsley.
Duff has been linked with several jobs, but Barnsley are the first club to make a formal attempt to prise him away from the club he also helped win three promotions as a player.
The 44-year-old only played professionally for two teams, spending 12 years at Burnley after joining them in the summer of 2004. He helped them win three promotions to the Premier League before embarking on his coaching career within the Clarets’ academy. After one season with the Under-18s, he took charge of the Under-23s for a year and was involved with Sean Dyche’s first team staff before Cheltenham appointed him as their replacement for Gary Johnson early in the 2018/19 campaign.
Former Northern Ireland international Duff has taken charge of 202 matches and has made no secret of his ambitions of managing at the top level. Duff’s overall record as Cheltenham Town manager:P 202, W 84, D 55, L 63
■ Lee Johnson will step back into management to take the vacant role at Hibernian. The former Bristol City manager has been without work since he was sacked as Sunderland manager in January. Hibernian have been on the lookout for a new manager since Shaun Maloney’s sacking last month. Johnson, 40, is expected to be appointed today after the Scotsman revealed he held talks.