Allwell Nwakali, Nigerian international Kelechi Nwakali‘s representative, praised his client in an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa after the midfielder finally made his first appearance of the season for Barnsley, coming off the bench in Tuesday’s League One clash against Stevenage.
He, also expressed relief at seeing the former Arsenal midfielder return to competitive action after an extended absence.
“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 exclusively 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.”
The midfielder was introduced in the 72nd minute, replacing Jonathan Bland, in what came as a surprise return after spending the campaign frozen out of the first-team squad.
It was his first outing of the 2025–26 season following a period on the sidelines after reporting late for pre-season under head coach Conor Hourihane.
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Nwakali featured for around 20 minutes, including stoppage time. Despite a lack of match sharpness, the 27-year-old showed glimpses of quality with a number of progressive passes, though he also conceded possession on a couple of occasions as he adjusted to the pace of the game.
Hourihane explained that the decision to reintegrate Nwakali and fellow outcast Georgie Gent followed internal discussions with the club, with both players brought back into contention for the final stretch of the campaign.
“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,” Hourihane said. “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.”
“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.”
Barnsley travel to second-placed Luton Town on Saturday, with Nwakali hoping to build on his comeback and feature again as he continues his push for regular minutes.
