Luca Connell: Barnsley sign former Celtic midfielder on three-year deal

Luca Connell had two loan spells at Queen's Park, helping them to back-to-back promotions

Barnsley have signed former Celtic midfielder Luca Connell on a free transfer, subject to clearance.

The 21-year-old has agreed a three-year contract with the Tykes, who were relegated to League One last season.

Connell did not make a senior appearance for Celtic, but played 31 games on loan at Queen's Park in 2021-22, scoring seven goals.

"My agent is from Barnsley, so he's told me about the history of the club," Connell told the Tykes' website.

"He brought (Conor) Hourihane and (Kieran) Trippier to the club, so there's high standards. I just know that we need to bounce back to get this club back where it belongs."

Connell, who began his career at Bolton before joining Celtic in 2019, is a Republic of Ireland Under-21 international and he is the second signing made by Barnsley following the appointment of Michael Duff as head coach.

Former Swansea City goalkeeper Jamie Searle arrived at Oakwell on Thursday.

Striker Patrick Schmidt, meanwhile, has left the club to rejoin Admira Wacker in his native Austria.

The 23-year-old played 41 games for Barnsley, most of them as a substitute, but spent of the last two seasons on loan at SV Ried and Esbjerg.

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