The move to England was poised to be a fresh start for Nwakali. However, the 26-year-old has been on the sidelines for Barnsley’s last nine matches.
Darrell Clarke, Barnsley FC’s head coach, has revealed that Kelechi Nwakali’s delayed debut in the English Football League One is due to fitness issues.
Nwakali joined Barnsley on a three-year deal in August, following a challenging stint at Portuguese club GD Chaves. The Super Eagles midfielder registered one goal and four assists across 32 matches for Chaves in a season where the club sanctioned him for using his phone on the substitute bench during a league match in May.
The move to England was poised to be a fresh start for Nwakali. However, the 26-year-old has been on the sidelines for Barnsley’s last nine matches. “Kelechi is a mile off, to be honest,” Clarke explained. “He needs to get fitter, do more high-speed distance running — nothing I haven’t said to him personally.”
While Clarke noted that Nwakali has to adapt to English football, the 46-year-old emphasised that the midfielder must earn his place at the club.
“We’ve got to understand he’s adapting to the English game, and we’ll keep working with him,” Clarke said. “Our midfield is a strong area with competition for places, and everyone has to be at it every day.”
Nwakali broke into the limelight in 2015 after leading Nigeria to the FIFA U-17 World Cup trophy in Chile. His performance earned him the competition’s Golden Ball Award, after which he signed for Arsenal.
However, the midfielder has failed to live up to expectations, as evidenced by the constant loan moves he has endured in his career.
For the Super Eagles, Nwakali has only played four times, with no goal contributions.
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