A player at a League One rival that gave 12-years of his life to Birmingham City now wants to challenge them at the top.
Corey O’Keeffe, a Barnsley defender, feels the club can challenge Birmingham City and Wrexham this season.
Birmingham is three points ahead of the Tykes, but they have played one more game. They’ve lost twice this season, while Birmingham is the only unbeaten team remaining in the division, but by the conclusion of the season, O’Keeffe feels his squad can push Birmingham for the title.
Barnsley are still getting to grips with their new manager Darrell Clarke, who arrived at Oakwell in the summer after leaving Cheltenham Town. Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, O’Keeffe said: “I think they (Birmingham) think they have won the league already, we’ll see what happens! There’s a lot of noise. “It’s a tough league with some big teams in this year and it will be challenging. But I think we have enough, when it clicks. We have shown signs already when we all gel together. “It’s still a new ‘gaffer’ really and early in the season. When we will click, we will be fine.”
O’Keeffe began his career at Birmingham, and made one solitary appearance in the 2016/17 season, before leaving in 2020, ending a 12-year association with the club. By his own admission, he has a lot of friends who are Blues supporters, and supported the club growing up.
The Birmingham-born defender had loan spells at Solihull Moors and Macclesfield Town, but was released when his contract expired in 2020. Since his departure from St Andrew’s, he’s played for Mansfield Town, Rochdale, and Forest Green Rovers.
Birmingham play Barnsley at Oakwell in December, and then the reverse fixture is scheduled for April 5, 2025. His one appearance for Birmingham came in a 4-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James Park in October 2016, and so should he play, it would mark a senior appearance at St Andrew’s, albeit for the opposition team. O’Keeffe featured against his former club in an FA Cup third round tie for Forest Green Rovers in January 2023.
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