WILLIAM HONDERMARCK IS keen to keep himself in the first-team picture at Barnsley after making an unexpectedly swift breakthrough with the English Championship side.
The future was uncertain for Hondermarck during the summer when he was released by Norwich City, but he was signed by Barnsley earlier this month after impressing during a trial with the Yorkshire club’s U23 team.
The 20-year-old midfielder was then fast-tracked into the senior set-up by manager Markus Schopp, making substitute appearances against Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers.
“It’s been a crazy journey, the last month, even though it’s gone quite well for me,” Hondermarck told his new club’s official website.
“I came in on trial for the U23s, so I came in for just over a week and played a friendly against Sheffield Wednesday. After that I got positive news that the club wanted to move forward.”
Born in France, Hondermarck moved to Dublin with his family as a child and made his debut for Drogheda United in the League of Ireland First Division at the age of 17.
First-team opportunities eluded him following his transfer to Norwich in 2019, and he spent the second half of last season on loan at Harrogate Town in League Two.
🔴 Hondermarck.
— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) September 16, 2021
🟠 Get set...
🟢 🟢 🟢 pic.twitter.com/4SwVyx8eGB
“Markus [Schopp] and the whole staff have been very good,” he added. “They haven’t put immense pressure on me. They’ve just told me to play my game, given me some good instructions and have been there to guide me through it.
“Any questions that I’ve had, they’ve been there for me. I haven’t felt any pressure coming into the squad, especially in such rapid time, so they’ve been very good to me.
“I want to continue on the path that I’m on now and just get as far with the first-team as I possibly can, get some more minutes and really become an established member as soon as possible.”
A former student of St Fintan’s High School in Sutton, Hondermarck described international recognition with Ireland as “a goal of mine, definitely” in an interview with The42 after making the move from Drogheda to Norwich.
