Former Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town manager David Pleat gave the thumbs-up to 21-year-old Mark Byrne after watching the youthful-looking midfielder in action for Barnet against Cheltenham Town at the weekend.

Byrne is on loan to the Bees from Championship side Nottingham Forest until January and Pleat was running an expert eye on his progress.

The Pleat verdict? "Mark is a good character and a good living boy who can only improve playing for Barnet. He had a good liaison in midfield with Glen Southam.

"He did everything very economically against Cheltenham and put in a good performance".

Byrne revealed that manager Mark Stimson had asked him to play in front of the back four and get the ball up to the two strikers and the two on the wings.

"It worked well", said the Irishman. "Earlier in the season I was taking up good positions and getting into the box. In fact, at Chesterfield on the opening day of the season, I nearly scored early in the game what could have been one of the quickest goals in the country.

"I hit my shot really well and thought it was going in, but Tommy Lee, their keeper, made a really great save to deny me".

Byrne, who has made only a handful of appearances for Forest, made seven starts on loan for Burton Albion and another 42 last season with Rushden & Diamonds, where he was voted both Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year.

"There was interest from other League 2 or Conference clubs for me to join them during the close season", he said. "I chose Barnet, mainly because I got on well with first team coach Michael Stone in my time at Rushden and I knew, after talking to him and manager Mark Stimson that the coaching and training at Barnet would be varied and would suit me.

"Being at Underhill will enable me to get games in and to learn from the management team and the players around me.

"I have moved down from Nottingham to a two-bedroomed apartment in Barnet and my family and girl friend from Ireland come over regularly to visit and to see me play.

"There are a good bunch of lads at the club and I think, particularly after Saturday, that we could do well".

Dennis Signy