The Reds' skipper gives us an update after the return to first team training at Oakwell this week.
"There was lots of running, it was a hot day as well so it was a tough first day back."
The Reds squad and Gerhard Struber and his coaching staff made their long-awaited returns to the Oakwell Training Complex this week to begin socially distanced training ahead of the likely restart of professional football in England.
Barnsley FC captain, Alex Mowatt gave us an insight into what that looked like when he spoke to us after completing the first day back on Monday afternoon.
"You pretty much get out of your car, you're in your kit already and you know, we are in small groups of five and it's straight into the training session." Mowatt explained.
"Then once you've finished that training you are back into your car and off home.
"There's lots of keeping your distance and just following the rules basically. But it was good to finally get back really.
"To be back out there, on the grass and at last to be out there and not totally on your own - it was so good to see lots of faces again."
With the obvious fears and anxiety across the country about the Coronavirus and the potential to put your own health at risk, some players might well have been against the resumption of training.
For Mowatt - and apparently his teammates - that wasn't the case, as he explained to us.
"For me personally, I wanted to get back to training, back to work really.
"There's only so much you can do alone without getting bored and so as soon as it was safe I was more than happy to get back to it.
"We are getting tested for the virus twice a week so things seem pretty safe for us at the minute.
"All the lads are in the group chat and so everyone keeps in touch like that and all of us wanted to come back. Even the lads from Austria and elsewhere were happy to fly back as soon as possible to get back here and to train again."
Well over two months away from the club, limited to the boundaries of your own home, Alex admits that after initially enjoying the enforced break, it became boring quite quickly but he tells us he occupied himself on games consoles and by becoming a master baker in his kitchen!
"I enjoyed the first couple of weeks," he said. "That initial phase was alright but then you run out of things to do because you are locked in the house really.
"I was that bored I ended up baking things I've never done before, cooking mad things, and there's only so much FIFA you can play as well!
"I'm surprised I never burnt the kitchen down I was in there that often to be honest."
With nine games still to play to complete the 2019/20 Sky Bet Championship campaign and with the Reds occupying the bottom spot in the division, it stands to reason that the squad want to get back to business and to try and escape the drop.
The skipper is confident that a good start could help propel the Reds to safety and remarked upon his contract extension which will see him remain at Oakwell, where he tells us he's 'loving' his football.
"It's massive for us." Stated Mowatt.
"For us, we are bottom of the league so we want to get back out there, get ourselves back onto another decent run and get us out of trouble.
"We've a young squad, hopefully the break has served us well and when we get back we can get off to a flyer.
"I love being at Barnsley, I'm happy the club activated the extension last week because I love playing for the club, I love the fans and I'm local so it's just been an enjoyable time for me and if we can come back and do well then that's going to be perfect."
