Doyle eventually made his Premier League debut the following season on 26 December 2008, when he came on as a substitute during a 5–1 defeat away to Manchester City. He made two further Premier League appearances, both of which Doyle was named in the starting lineup and made seven appearances in all competitions. He made his debut the following day, coming on as a substitute for Jacob Butterfield in a 0–0 draw with Swansea City. He went on to make 34 appearances for Barnsley in 2009–10. He completed the 2010–11 season having made 45 appearances and scored two goals in all competitions.