Super Eagles midfielder Kelechi Nwakali made his first appearance of the season for Barnsley in their 1-0 defeat to Stevenage on Tuesday night, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old had previously been frozen out of the first team under head coach Conor Hourihane ahead of the 2025-26 season. During that period, he only featured for the club’s U-21 side after being sidelined over disciplinary issues and looked unlikely for a comeback with the first-team.
However, there was a twist in his situation when he was included in the match-day squad on Tuesday and introduced in the 72nd minute, with his side chasing the game.
Despite lacking match fitness, the former Golden Eaglets star showed flashes of his quality, although he could not prevent his team from slipping to defeat as they remained in mid-table with only a few games left to play.
Kelechi Nwakali’s agent reacts to Barnsley comeback
Nigerian midfielder Kelechi Nwakali’s return had looked unlikely after spending the season away from the first team, until luck shone on him and he was named in the squad for Tuesday’s game, eventually featuring in the second half.
Reacting to the latest development, agent of the former Arsenal man, Allwell Nwakali, expressed relief at seeing the midfielder return to the pitch and is hoping for a better end to the campaign.
“It is nice to see him playing football again after a very long time. We know what he is capable of, and he gave a good account of himself despite the situation,” he told Footy-Africa.
“The target now is to gain match fitness and sharpness, play until the end of the season, and then we will see what happens next regarding his future. But we are happy to see him play again.”
Meanwhile, Barnsley head coach Conor Hourihane also explained that the midfielder’s reintegration into the squad came after internal discussions, particularly with the season nearing its conclusion.
“It’s only right for everyone now to look forward to the new season and the new manager, whatever that is going to look like. So I think it was only right, really, that in discussions between myself and the club, we were all in agreement that for the last four games we could look further afield, and that was part of the negotiation”, Hourihane said.
“Clearly, they are going to be a little bit behind in terms of match fitness, and that’s going to be frustrating for them. But I thought both of them weren’t miles away from the pace of the game. They were not out of sorts — they looked no different from the rest.”
What does this mean for Nwakali?
Kelechi Nwakali joined Barnsley in the summer of 2024 with hopes of reviving his career after a series of underwhelming spells at previous clubs, failing to live up to the initial promise in the early stages of his career.
Initially, things appeared promising, as he enjoyed a solid start and looked set to rebuild his reputation. The midfielder looked poised for a strong season afterwards, which could have earned him a bigger move, but things quickly took a downturn when he was frozen out of the squad, reportedly due to disciplinary issues, which had become a recurring issue in his career.
The situation between player and club had deteriorated to the point where a return seemed impossible until his surprise comeback on Tuesday, and he is now expected to be part of the squad for the remainder of the season.
Although his contract is set to expire in the summer of 2027, a strong finish to the season combined with improved discipline could open the door to a possible extension.
For now, his focus will be on making the most of the remaining matches, beginning with Barnsley’s clash against Luton Town on Saturday.
