I’M HAVING A GLOVELY TIME

Keeper Davies salutes Barnsley’s press gang

ADAM DAVIES admits he loves watching Barnsley play as much as he loves playing for them.

And he gets plenty of time to savour the swaggering style of football that is pointing the Tykes towards a first-time return to the Championship following relegation last May.

That’s because the 26-year-old goalkeeper has been largely unemployed on matchdays this season, keeping eight clean sheets in 15 outings for an Oakwell side committed to attack under new boss Daniel Stendel (right).

He has seen more action in the opposition penalty area than in his own – and that’s just the way he likes it.

Skipper Davies, who joined Barnsley on a free from Yorkshire neighbours Sheffield Wednesday four years ago, misses today’s showdown at promotion rivals Accrington because he’s away on international duty with Wales.

But he beamed: “It’s obviously going well for us so far and I give a lot of credit to the manager’s style of football and the players in front of me.

“And I’ll happily say that a lot of the clean sheets are down to the outfield lads who are making my job so much easier.

“There have been games where I’ve had little to do and that’s down to the pressing and defending from the front and the way we are all playing as a whole.

“I am really enjoying watching it. It’s exciting football. I’ve almost become a sweeper-keeper and I think I’ve been pretty good at it! I’ve got in a few clearing headers this season and I haven’t often done that before.” Despite his light workload, there’s no way Davies (above) is taking anything for granted because competition for the No.1 jersey is fierce following the emergence of gifted academy graduates Jack Walton, Jake Greatorex and Henry Kendrick.

Davies said: “John Vaughan, our goalkeeper coach, deserves a massive compliment. He’s tough on the young lads, but that helps them improve.

“It’s obviously a huge testament to him that three keepers have progressed from the academy.”