A player who dedicated 12 years of his career to Birmingham City is now aiming to compete against them at the top with a League One rival.
Barnsley defender Corey O’Keeffe believes his team can challenge both Birmingham City and Wrexham this season. While Barnsley is three points behind Birmingham, having played one more game, O’Keeffe is confident they can compete for the top spot. Birmingham remains the only unbeaten team in the division, but O’Keeffe thinks Barnsley will be in the mix by the end of the season.
Barnsley is still adapting to their new manager, Darrell Clarke, who joined in the summer from Cheltenham Town. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, O’Keeffe said, “I think they (Birmingham) believe they’ve already won the league, but we’ll see. There’s a lot of talk. It’s a tough league with big teams, but once we click, I believe we have enough. We’ve already shown glimpses of it.”
O’Keeffe started his career at Birmingham, making one appearance in the 2016/17 season before leaving in 2020 after a 12-year stint. Although he grew up as a fan and has many friends who support the club, his career took him on loan to Solihull Moors and Macclesfield Town before being released. Since then, he’s played for Mansfield Town, Rochdale, and Forest Green Rovers.
Barnsley will face Birmingham at Oakwell in December, with the reverse fixture set for April 5, 2025. O’Keeffe’s lone appearance for Birmingham came in a 4-0 loss to Newcastle in October 2016, but if he plays in the upcoming matches, it could mark his senior appearance at St Andrew’s, this time as an opponent. He last played against Birmingham for Forest Green in the FA Cup third round in January 2023.
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