Mads has today completed his move to Premier League outfit Luton Town for an undisclosed fee.
Andersen has made the most appearances ever by an overseas player representing our club, joining us from his native Denmark in 2019. We are incredibly proud and grateful for his commitment and leadership over the last four years.
Khaled El-Ahmad, CEO at Barnsley FC, said: “Mads’ dedication and professionalism earned the right to honour his wishes and allow him to pursue a new challenge in his career. Recognising this, our priority was ensuring we had the best deal that worked for Barnsley Football Club and secure a valuation we deemed fit for the quality that Mads possesses as a footballer.
“His success whilst with the Club provides further evidence of the excellent player development pathway established at Oakwell, progressing into one of the best defenders in the league last season and adopting a leadership role within our squad.
“Watching his development both as a footballer and human being has been extremely rewarding and it has been a pleasure to have worked with a professional such as Mads."
Andersen made 175 appearances for the Reds after arriving in South Yorkshire in June 2019. The Dane’s maiden season ended in dramatic fashion, Clarke Oduor’s last-minute goal ensuring survival in the Sky Bet Championship amidst a Covid-affected campaign.
The following season saw Mads be ever-present in a Barnsley side that finished fifth in the second tier and narrowly lost out in the Play-Offs, with an injury-affected relegation to League One coming the year after.
Andersen's commitment and professionalism did not go unnoticed throughout his time at Oakwell, becoming the Reds’ captain for the 22/23 campaign and leading the side out at Wembley in the League One Play-Off Final.
The 25-year-old scooped the Reds fans’ Player of the Season award last campaign, in addition to earning a place in the Sky Bet League One Team of the Year to formalise his standing as one of the leading players in his division.
Upon leaving the club, Andersen expressed his appreciation for his time at Oakwell:
“My time at BFC has come to an end, and I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank you for all the support and love I have received during my 4 years at Oakwell. It has been years of ups and downs and I have developed a lot as a footballer and as a human being, including being a proud captain for the team the last year.
“I know my choice of movement will disappoint fans, but a life as a footballer is short, and therefore most players have ambitions of playing at the highest level possible. That ambition includes me and already when I was playing in Denmark at AC Horsens, I had a note on my fridge stating the ambition of reaching the Premier League someday.
“I want to thank the coaches, staff and my incredible teammates for this season and for four lovely years at BFC, which I will look back at with joy. I also want to say thank you to Khaled who has supported me in this step upwards. I think BFC is a perfect club for young footballers to get a chance of playing football at a professional level and therefore I am happy that I took this step in 2019.
All the best,
Mads
COYR”
Thank you, Mads Andersen - alumni number #1339.
