'He did a lot better' - Barnsley coach reveals Nwakali is pushing for a place in the squad

Barnsley coach Darrell Clarke has admitted that Kelechi Nwakali is pushing for a place in the squad ahead of the upcoming games against Huddersfield Town in the League One and Bristol Street Motors Trophy.

The Nigeria international has yet to make his first team debut for The Reds, two months after joining the club from Portuguese setup GD Chaves.

Nwakali did not have a proper pre-season at Barnsley and did not begin training with his new teammates immediately after his transfer was announced as he was awaiting a work permit.

Fitness issues have made it challenging for him to break into the matchday squad, with only two call-ups out of a possible twelve across all competitions.

The 2015 Fifa U17 World Cup Golden Ball winner has played in a couple of games for Barnsley's development squad in a bid to step up his match fitness.

The Arsenal alum earned rave reviews for his impressive performance in his last outing for the U21s, capped off by a brilliant goal as Barnsley were beaten 4-3 by Peterborough United in a Professional Development League fixture in South Yorkshire on Tuesday afternoon. 

Nwakali, who lasted 65 minutes on the pitch before hobbling off, also struck the woodwork and won a penalty which was not converted by Theo Chapman. 

In quotes relayed by Barnsley Chronicle, Clarke stated: "He did a lot better the other day. Him and Georgie Gent are pushing. That's what we want – players pushing for places.

"The trophy game will be a good opportunity for one or two of them to stake a claim moving forward for the league games."

Nwakali signed a three-year contract with Barnsley and has been allocated the number 50 kit for the 2024-2025 season.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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