Exclusive: Swansea Lead Championship Chase for Barnsley Sensation Jack Shepherd

Barnsley want to tie down Jack Shepherd amid Championship interest in the player, SportsBoom can exclusively reveal.

Just last season the defender was out on loan helping Bradford City get promoted to League One at Wembley.

The 24-year-old has been one of the Tykes' standout performers this season.

And our sources have been told that his form at the heart of Conor Hourihane's defence this term has captured the attention of sides in the second tier.

It is understood that Championship strugglers Swansea City are monitoring his progress this season whilst there are a couple of other clubs in the division also interested in his development.

Barnsley have been renowned for developing defensive talent over the years with the likes of John Stones and Mason Holgate coming through the club’s academy whilst Alfie Mawson also fetched a big fee when he moved to the Swans whilst they were in the Premier League.

Shepherd is under contract at Oakwell until the end of the season, but the deal does include an option of a one-year extension which the club will trigger, although they hope to secure a longer extension to give themselves the best possible chance of securing a decent fee.

Barnsley are also bracing themselves for a fight to keep star forward Davis Keillor-Dunn in January, with a host of Championship clubs, including Sheffield United, monitoring his situation closely.

Meteoric Rise 

The Bantams were desperate to keep hold of Shepherd after last season's promotion heroics, but they were understood to have been priced out of a deal.

And in an amazing career trajectory, Shepherd could end up playing in the Championship just over a year after plying his trade in League Two. 

It would not be the first time he has rapidly risen up the leagues.

Just two years ago, Shepherd, who was a kitchen fitter at the time, was playing at level eight in the English football pyramid with Pontefract Collieries, who are understood to have a “significant sell-on clause”.