Kenyan defender Clarke Oduor has been handed a new lease of life after Barnsley announced Markus Schopp as the new head coach on a three-year contract.Oduor had fallen down the pecking order at Barnsley under former head coach Valérien Ismaël who has since joined fellow Championship side West Bromwich Albion.The Harambee Stars left wing-back was utilized sparingly by Ismaël as he was put on the periphery on a number of games since the French coach joined the side in October 2020.We are delighted to announce the arrival of Markus Schopp as the new first team Head Coach! 👊— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) June 29, 2021 Ismaël however had a highly successful stint at Barnsley as he steered the club off relegation and guided them to a Promotion Play-Off slot that they lost to Swansea in the semi-final.Speaking to the club’s official portal, Schopp could not hide his desire to deliver another Promotion Play-Offs slot and hopefully to the Premier League this time. “It’s great to come to a country where football is so big, so traditional, especially in South Yorkshire. There are so many clubs and they are so famous and Barnsley, for me, is one of those teams. I will help Barnsley get to where they have been in the last year, I will do everything for that.“I appreciate this opportunity a lot and I look forward to getting to work, meeting the team and coaching staff and seeing the supporters back in the stadium soon,” said Schopp.🎂 Happy Birthday to @Clarke_Oduor!Any excuse to put this photo out… 😎 pic.twitter.com/dMJPu8TCoP— Barnsley FC (@BarnsleyFC) June 25, 2021 Even more interesting for Oduor who recently turned 22 years will be Schopp’s proven record of transforming the careers of young players by developing them into prime talents.Despite not featuring much last season, Oduor has not been linked with a move away for Barnsley who recently retained him for another season but came close to joining Sheffield United in the January transfer window.
