Some Conor Hourihane stats outlined by WhoScored.com show the Corkman to have been the best player in the Championship so far.
Conor Hourihane has never received a cap for the Republic of Ireland senior side and didn't make the final cut for Martin O'Neill's senior squad for the recent World Cup qualifier against Austria. But perhaps that should change, if stats from 'WhoScored.com' and featured in a piece on Sky Sports' website are anything to go by.
Hourihane was made captain of Barnsley halfway through last year and since then has flourished in the role, helping Barnsley into the Championship where they are looking good to secure their place, lying in fifteenth position and six points above the drop zone.
And a few stats provided by WhoScored.com underline just how impressive the Corkman has been in the middle of the park for Barnsley this year. Note how the stats perfectly balance both attacking and defensive aspects of his game.
- 54 tackles (1st in the Championship)
- 52 interceptions (4th)
- 33.9% of total passes as forward passes (2nd)
- 2.3 chances created per game (12th)
- 4 assists (5th)
They also note that Hourihane has the third highest ranking for shots on target outside the box and explain his "relatively modest" pass success rate of 81.1% (62nd) by highlighting his "willingness to try to break the lines by finding a front-man" (which explains why his percentage of forward passes is so high as well as his healthy collection of assists).
Impressive stuff from Hourihane, whose total 'WhoScored.com' rating is 7.83, the highest in the league.
We're not sure if Martin O'Neill pays any attention to WhoScored.com but he will undoubtedly be keeping an eye on Hourihane's impressive progression. At only 25 years of age, he's got time on his side.
