Barnsley: Clarity offered on Conor Hourihane role after Stoke City reshuffle | OneFootball

The Irishman returned to the League One side this summer in a player-coach capacity

Barnsley head coach Darrell Clarke has revealed that Conor Hourihane will be given more coaching responsibilities following Dean Whitehead’s departure for Stoke City.

Potters legend Whitehead made the decision to depart Oakwell this week, as he links up with new City boss Narcis Pelach after the Norwich City coach’s appointment at the bet365 Stadium.

That has left a vacancy in the Tykes’ backroom staff, with Clarke revealing that Hourihane - who was brought back to the club in the summer after his release from Derby County - will be stepping up to the plate.

The Irishman returned to Yorkshire in a player-coach capacity during the off-season, and this decision will likely see his game time limited even more as his coaching responsibilities increase.

Darrell Clarke reveals Conor Hourihane decision after Dean Whitehead exit

Barnsley have wasted no time in shifting around responsibilities in the backroom staff after Whitehead’s departure, with Hourihane already expected to take on a more hands-on role in the coming weeks.

Whitehead only joined the Tykes as a coach in July of this year, as he made the move to Yorkshire to link back up with Clarke, whom he had success with previously at Port Vale.

But the lure of a return to the club in which he made over 150 appearances for in his playing career was too great to turn down, with the 42-year-old returning to the Potteries after Pelach was instated this week.

Speaking of the situation, Clarke said, via the Yorkshire Post: "Dean is a great lad, but I also understand that Stoke is his club and he spent a lot of time there and it’s an opportunity he couldn’t turn down. The club gets compensated and I’ve got a good backroom team.

"Conor can step up to the plate. He will be doing a lot more coaching. Conor has come in and wanted to be more of a coach than a player. He’s doing a terrific job at that.

"We’ve got me, Davvers (Martin Devaney), Steady (Jon Stead) and Conor and we will see how things develop there. We wish Dean all the best at Stoke and thank him for his efforts, but we move on quickly."

Conor Hourihane set to focus on Barnsley coaching responsibilities

Hourihane returned to Oakwell after seven years away this summer, with the Irish international enjoying stints at Aston Villa, Swansea City, Sheffield United and Derby County before coming full circle.

Having initially joined in a player-coach role, the 33-year-old has featured in just two League One matches so far this season, after coming off the bench in the first match of the season against Mansfield Town, and a single start against Northampton Town last month.

While Tykes fans may be puzzled why they haven’t seen as much of the midfielder as they may have predicted, Clarke offered an insight into the plans going forward, with Whitehead’s departure streamlining the decision to focus on coaching.

Clarke continued: "I am in regular dialogue with Conor and we are speaking every single day. Conor’s passion now is more into his coaching than playing, it’s as simple as that.

"He was always coming in as more of a coach and that was the case when I (first) sat down and had a conversation with him. I get that. He does keep himself ticking over with his fitness levels, but that’s where he sees his passion now.