GETHIN Jones looks back with fondness at his time with Barnsley and credits the Yorkshire club with helping him take a defining leap in his career.

The Wanderers defender had a successful loan spell at Oakwell in 2017, at a time when he was still waiting for a big break with boyhood club Everton.

But he says that taste of Championship football – including a dream debut in a 3-2 win against Leeds United – convinced him to leave Goodison Park for good.

“I loved it there,” he said. “It was my second loan away from Everton, the first was at Plymouth when I was 19, then Barnsley at 21 and 22.

“I was only there for half a season but it was my first experience of the Championship and I played in some amazing games at places like Newcastle United, or against Leeds, which was a massive derby for them. It’s a great club.

“I’m happy to see they are doing well this season, so it’ll be an interesting test for us when they come on Saturday.”

After the arrival of new ownership, Barnsley went close to Premier League promotion in 2021, finishing fifth and losing out in the play-off semi-finals, but slumped the following year to drop into League One.

Jones admits the Tykes bear little resemblance to the team he knew well, having been through a few management cycles in the years since. But he feels that, like Bolton, Saturday’s opponents will be looking to get back into he second tier as quickly as possible.

“Back when I was there it was a strong squad, you had the likes of Conor Hourihane there before he went to Aston Villa, and some other really big players,” he said.

“It was before the new owners came in and things changed but playing at that level, it’s where this type of club wants to be.

“I know a few of the lads have played in the Championship before but when you’re going away to Newcastle United and they are fighting to win the title in front of a full crowd, it was an amazing experience and it is something every one of the players out there will want to do, play at that highest level possible. It is certainly where we want to get this club back to.”

Jones also admits that after 10 years as a young man and boy at Everton, the six months at Barnsley made him realise he could not wait around for a chance to break into the Blues first team.

“I remember going back to Everton, there were a few clubs that were after me and we couldn’t get the deal over the line in the end,” he said. “Then I had to stay back with the Everton under-23s, I was obviously disappointed because from going to play Championship football to then playing 23s football, there’s no comparison.

“When I went back to Everton I got injured for three to four months, which killed my momentum, really, and when it came to January, Fleetwood still wanted to sign me and i just took the chance as I wanted to just go and play men’s football week in, week out, so that’s how that came about.”