“It was a bit awkward’ – Barnsley coach Conor Hourihane makes candid admission over final months as a player
Conor Hourihane has confessed his stint as a player-coach at Barnsley was “a bit awkward”.
The 33-year-old returned to Oakwell in the summer, taking on a dual duty seven years after his previous time with the Reds came to an end.
He was a talismanic figure for Barnsley between 2014 and 2017, hence his return caused plenty of excitement among the Oakwell faithful.
However, coaching was the major emphasis for the ex-Republic of Ireland international and he made only two outings. He just announced his retirement from playing, but has kept his coaching post in South Yorkshire.
Conor Hourihane made only two appearances as a player following his return to Barnsley.
“I was putting so much into coaching, that flipping my mentality to playing was something I also found difficult,” he told The Coaches’ Voice. “Being in every coaches’ meeting, getting changed in the coaches’ changing room, having a desk – the players saw me more as a coach.
“For me to then go on the field to play, was something I found pretty tough. Could the players truly give out to me if I threw the ball away? Or if I lost my runner, or didn’t pick my guy out from a corner? It was a little awkward.”
Dean Whitehead’s departure from the coaching staff in September further heightened Hourihane’s significance to Darrell Clarke’s club.
“With the focus, hunger and success that I wanted to bring to coaching, I wasn’t doing myself justice,” Hourihane remarked. “That didn’t sit right with me. Around the same time, Barnsley first-team coach Dean Whitehead went for Stoke [City], and I was informed they didn’t want to bring another coach in.
“The club were incredibly pleased with the job I was doing, and they understood where I was at in terms of my passion to coach. So I was urged to step up and take on more.”
Hourihane also represented the likes of Aston Villa and Sheffield United during a playing career that lasted 15 years.
“Making the transition from playing to coaching has also been helped by the fact that I am really content with what I achieved as a player<” he remarked. “That included playing more than 600 games at all four levels of English football, as well as for my country, Ireland, and winning three promotions.
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