Stallard signs!
The 29-year-old arrived at Oakwell a short while ago to put pen to paper on an 18-month contract earlier today, with the an option for another year.
Stallard told the Barnsley FC official website: “To be fair the move has come about pretty quickly and I only really found out from Notts yesterday that they did not want me on their wage bill and were looking at other options. They have a new manager in so I was very interested in coming to Oakwell as soon as I knew Barnsley were after me. I came up, spoke to the people here today and their ambition matches mine.
Stallard told the Barnsley FC official website: “To be fair the move has come about pretty quickly and I only really found out from Notts yesterday that they did not want me on their wage bill and were looking at other options. They have a new manager in so I was very interested in coming to Oakwell as soon as I knew Barnsley were after me. I came up, spoke to the people here today and their ambition matches mine.
“I have had five good years at Notts and hopefully I will do a job here at Barnsley and help us get promoted. It is always going to be disappointing to leave there after five years because I made some good friends but the prospect of playing at Oakwell is exciting. It is a challenge and I have come here to score goals. I want to push us into the Play Offs and maybe onto automatic promotion.
“I am ambitious. I want to do well here. I am 29 now and I am coming into the latter stages of my career so I really want to have a go at it and go further in my career. I think that I can do that here. Barnsley have given me the chance to do that and I am more than happy to take it.
“I could have walked from Notts for nothing whenever I wanted because of the situation there with administration but I do not believe in doing things like that. I was enjoying my time there and there is always a right and wrong time to do things. Now is the right time.
“I have been very impressed by what I have seen at Barnsley today. I have spoken to the manager, director and chairman this afternoon and they have told me their ambitions for the club. Those ambitions match mine and I have certainly not come here to just waste a year or so of my career. I want to achieve things here and I will give 110 per cent to ensure we get out of this division.
“I have signed an 18-month contract with the option for another year so hopefully things will go well. That gives both sides the chance to see what will happen over that time.
“I know Craig Ireland well from our time at Notts and played with Steve Hayward at Derby. I know one or two others from playing against them and I am looking forward to playing alongside them. There is a good squad here and you can tell that by the position the team is in. I cannot wait to get in and help get up to Division One.”