BARNSLEY head coach Neill Collins admits he’d rather have his players on international duty at Oakwell but said the club can’t expect to have good players and expect them not to be called up.
Tomorrow’s planned League One game against Carlisle United was called off at the weekend due to the number of international call-ups at the club.
It means that by the time the Reds travel to Lincoln City next week they’ll have not played a league match for 14 days.
There are currently six players at the club who have been chosen to play for their country during the current international break.
Callum Styles was called up to the Hungarian squad once again, whilst Fabio Jalo joined up with Portugal u19s for their fixtures in Northern Ireland this week.
Top scorer Devante Cole was chosen to play for Jamaica for the first time whilst Jon Russell was recalled to the Reggae Boyz squad at the same time.
Collins said: “Recognition is what you grow up dreaming off so for Jon to get back into the squad and Devante for the first time it’s good.
“There’s no surprises that Devante’s goal scoring has got him there.
“We wish them all the best and we hope that they’ll come back fit and healthy and ready for us - but in the meanwhile do well for their country.”
Barnsley legend Bruce Dyer’s son, Josiah, is playing for Montserrat and 14-year-old Oliver Wilkinson who has been playing for the u18s at Oakwell was called up for England u15s.
Josiah will see his Montserrat side, managed by former Premier League player Lee Bowyer, take on the Dominican Republic and Barbados.
Whilst Oliver will link up with the Young Lions as part of an emerging talent camp at St George’s Park.
Those players were missing from Tuesday’s FA Cup replay against Horsham but fortunately will be available barring any injuries for the next league game against Lincoln.
Collins told the Chronicle: “I think from a consistency point of view I’d much rather them be here (at Oakwell).
“I’ve got to look at some of them like Callum Styles he’s aiming to play in the Euros.
“So for Barnsley to have someone who can potentially play in the Euros is great.
“It shows the assets that we’ve got.
“It’s good but you can’t have it both ways.
“You want to have good players but sometimes that means you’re going to have call-ups.”
Jalo, who has been the subject of a number of rumours away from the club in recent weeks which Collins shrugged off as ‘paper talk’ is also away from the club this week.
“Fabio is another young asset who’s playing international football,” Collins added.
“He’s doing great and I really feel that with Fabio, like all young players, it’s about patience.
“We’d like to have him here because we’ve got games in the cup that would be a good opportunity for him but we’ll just continue to try and support him as he progresses.
“He’s someone that excites the fans which is nice.
“He’s still at an age where he has all this potential but what he can do with that is still unknown because he’s so young.
“As long as he continues to work hard and show the right attitude, he’s got the ability and hopefully we can give him a good platform here to continue to build on that.”
But it’s not just the current crop of players on international duty that have ambitions to play at the highest level, according to Collins.
“We’ve even got the young lad called up for England u15s,” he said.
“Through the club we’ve got players like that.
“I’m sure Luca Connell and others will have their sights set on call-ups.”
ROUND UP OF GAMES
