March 2019
Adam Davies might have insisted he is happy to put contract talks to one side so he can focus on leading Barnsley to promotion out of League One this season, but fans will be hoping the club aren't so relaxed about the goalkeeper's contract situation.


The 26-year-old joined Barnsley from Sheffield Wednesday in June 2014, going on to establish himself as a key part of the team and being handed the captaincy at the start of the season. With the Tykes second in League One and within touching distance of securing a return to the Championship, Davies has postponed new contract talks until the summer.



Daniel Stendel's side moved another step closer to sealing promotion with a 2-0 win over Accrington Stanley, with Davies again playing an important part in the Tykes picking up another important three points. The stopper is the sole surviving member of the team that were promoted in 2015/16, and that experience could well be critical in Barnsley getting to the finish line this year. And with international aspirations now in his mind, Davies may feel he needs to be playing Championship football next season at this stage of his career.



Davies, who started his career as a schoolboy with Everton, was first called up to the Wales squad in 2016 without making an appearance. He was named in the Wales squad for their UEFA Nations League clash against Denmark last November, again without making an appearance. The goalkeeper would do his international hopes no harm by leading Barnsley to promotion this season, and Wales head coach Ryan Giggs will be aware of the form of Davies ahead of the national team's Euro 2020 qualifying games, which get underway later this month.

Wales, who are priced at around 7/2 with the latest international football betting odds to top Group E ahead of the likes of Croatia and Slovakia, will be hoping to make a strong start to their qualification campaign this month against Slovakia. Davies may again be called up to that squad, which may come as a welcome distraction from the pressure of a League One promotion push. With Luton three points clear at the top of the league and Sunderland pushing Barnsley all the way, it's looking as though the race for promotion could go down to the wire - and Davies is going to be crucial to the Tykes' hopes.

Should Barnsley go on and seal promotion back to the Championship, one of the first things they need to address at the end of the season is a new contract for Davies. After five years at the club, the goalkeeper deserves to be rewarded for his role in Barnsley's success this year and for his form throughout his time at Oakwell. The problem the club face after allowing their number one's contract to run down is that theirs won't be the only offer Davies receives this summer.