Video summary
Cory O'Keeffe expresses his immediate sense of belonging and excitement upon joining Bradford City, describing the club as a massive opportunity that feels like home from day one. He highlights the welcoming atmosphere created by both the staff and existing players, noting that knowing several teammates from previous leagues helped ease the transition significantly. The arrival of familiar faces allowed him to settle in quickly without relying solely on official inductions, fostering a strong sense of camaraderie even before his first match.
The transfer process itself was marked by the typical pressure of deadline day, though O'Keeffe notes that everything ultimately went smoothly despite initial delays. Having never been involved in a last-minute deal before, he found the experience thrilling but acknowledges the unique challenges of ensuring a move is completed just as the clock runs out. His decision to join the club was driven by conversations with the manager about the team's ambitions and positive feedback from current squad members, confirming his belief that Bradford is on an exciting upward trajectory.
O'Keeffe emphasizes the intense internal competition within the squad as a healthy driving force for everyone's development, where every player must push their best to secure a spot in the lineup. He identifies his primary goal with the club as achieving promotion to the Championship, while personally aiming to win trophies and reach the peak of his career after a recent period of stop-start form at previous clubs. The tactical demands of the wing-back role at Bradford have also presented a fresh challenge, requiring him to adapt to specific instructions on staying high and wide while maintaining defensive solidity.
Looking ahead, O'Keeffe is eager to prove himself in front of the passionate home crowd and turn the stadium into a fortress for away teams, leveraging the intimidating atmosphere he previously faced as an opponent. He remains optimistic about the upcoming EFL Cup draw and the potential to secure a big away tie that showcases the team's capabilities beyond their home ground. Overall, he views this move as a pivotal step in his career where he can finally settle into a consistent rhythm and demonstrate what he is capable of achieving at this level.
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Cory, good to speak to you and welcome
to Bradford as well, I guess. Just how
have you found your first couple of
weeks at the club?
>> Yeah, really enjoyed it. Um, I feel at
home straight away, the staff, the
players, everything about the place. I'm
really enjoying it. Um just talk us
through that that deadline day um move
and what was it like from your your
perspective? Did everything move pretty
quickly or?
>> Yeah. Um I knew about it maybe a week
and a half before and um as soon as I
knew about it, I wanted to get it done
straight away and it took a little bit
longer than I would like to have done,
but it's happened now and I'm delighted
with it.
>> Deadline day itself, what are the moving
parts sort of like as a player when you
know the clock is ticking down and
trying to get that over the line and get
things done? Yeah, it's um obviously
you're watching the clock, you're
thinking, oh, I hope it gets done. I
hope it gets done. And um yeah, it did
go quite smoothly on the day, so that
was lucky. But um like you say, it's
deadline day and you think, oh, it needs
to get done. So happy.
>> Was it different to to other moves
perhaps that happen at different points
in the window given that it is is all on
that last day. There's always a lot of
sort of talk and pressure, isn't there,
about deadline day when it comes to it?
>> Yeah. Um, I've never been involved in a
deadline day deal before, so it was
different for me, but it was exciting.
And yeah, like you say, it's is it going
to get done in time, but it's it's
happened, like I say, and I'm very
happy.
>> What were the main things that made you
want to come to Bradford City?
>> Um, I spoke with the gaffer and
everything like where we want to go as a
club. I spoke to a few of the lads here
and they said how good it is like around
the place and just like it's a massive
club and it's a big opportunity for me
and I was really excited as soon as I
heard about it.
>> You mentioned there speaking to a couple
of the current players. I know Adam
Phillips obviously you have you've
played with the Barnes Steven Humphre as
well. Are there any others in there that
you've you've come across before?
>> Yeah, there's a few um Pow League was at
um Stockport when I was there. Callum
Connelly um Swanie and Laps was at
Mansfield when I was there. So yeah,
there's there's a few lads obviously I
know. So, it's helped me when I've came
in and um they've like shown me around
the place and everything. And then the
other lads as well, they've been really
welcoming. So, it's really good for me.
>> It might sound quite obvious to say, but
how helpful is it or you know, how easy
does it make that decision when you do
know some of the the faces that are
already in that squad?
>> Yeah, it's massive. Sorry, there's Jake
Beasley as well. He's a big part of it
as well. He was at Rodale with me. Um,
but like you say, when you've got people
that you know coming here straight away,
um, it takes a little bit of edge off
it. Like I'm still the new lad and
obviously I still want to impress
everyone, but they welcome me and you
can sit with them straight away and they
can show you around instead of it being
like the staff trying to show you around
or something. The lads are like, "Oh,
this is here, this is there." So, like I
said, from the first day I felt at home.
>> How was Tuesday?
>> Yeah, really enjoyable. Um, obviously my
first game. Um it we got the win
ultimately and we're through to the next
round. But I enjoyed it. Yeah.
>> You're on that left hand side. Is that
where you see yourself as a player or or
does it not not make a difference sort
of which side, you know, as long as it's
a that sort of wing back role?
>> Yeah, wing back. Um either side I'm I
feel comfortable off either side and
wherever the gaffer wants me to play,
I'll try and do a job for him. Um but
yeah, I don't really have a preference
if it's off the left or on the right.
I'm I'm happy either way. Has Graeme
Alexander given you an indication of
what your sort of role is in in this
squad?
>> No, we we we spoke and he just said um
I'll have a big part to play in it um
when I'm called upon to do uh what he
knows I can do. Um and that's help the
team, assist goals, add um attacking
play and obviously work on my defensive
stuff as well. So he we've spoke and
it's very clear for me and I'm looking
forward to working with him.
>> They're obviously a club that have been
on the up in the past couple of seasons.
Have you kept an eye on how Bradford
City have done? Obviously, you know,
having come up against them once or
twice as well um you know and and have
you watched that progress from the from
the outside I guess.
>> Yeah, definitely. Like I say, I've had
like friends that have been here and so
obviously I keep an eye on the results
and everything and I know Bradford are a
big club so I'll always look out for
that and it's an exciting journey that
they're on and I'm glad that I'm on it
now as well.
>> What have you made to them? Um
particularly I guess in the the last
couple of seasons obviously the
promotion they had a couple years ago as
well.
>> Yeah, good. I think the team's coming on
really well and um I think it's getting
even better now. They've brought some
good lads in and um I think there's a
real chance this year.
>> On sort of first impressions, does it
feel like a a strong competitive squad?
>> Yeah, definitely. Um I think as you can
see a few of the lads have like missed
out of the squad and it's like very good
lads and I think that's a good thing
because everyone's pushing each other
and ultimately that will be better for
everyone. So I'm pushing wing backs and
then midfielders pushing midfielders and
it's healthy competition and if
everyone's doing that everyone's got to
be on the game.
>> Um we asked funny of Graeme Alexander a
few moments ago just about that
competition and the squad depth and I
guess so how how big a challenge it is
keeping everyone on even keel when you
are going to have to disappoint some
people by not picking them as as
players. How do you find that side of it
when you know you've got a full squad of
of very good players that could all
easily be picked but naturally there are
going to be some that miss out? Yeah, it
keeps you on your toes because everyone
wants to be in the squad. Everyone wants
to be playing. Um, but I think on a
whole it's a really good thing for the
team because like you say, it's a good
squad and good players. So, everyone's
pushing everyone. So, good players are
going to miss out. So, if you're not at
it, you're going to miss out. So, it
pushes everyone. So, you've got to be
banging training and then when you get a
chance in the games, everything around
the place, just be at it. So, try and
get in the squad.
>> And just finally for me, Cory, what what
are you hoping to achieve um with this
move to Bradford City? both from a a
club and a personal perspective.
>> Yeah. Well, club obviously I want to get
promoted. I think that's the goal and I
think it's very achievable. Want to get
up into the championship and personally
as well I want to um be a winner. I want
to win things and I think this is a
massive step in my career.
>> Cheers Cory. Thank you.
>> Thank you very much.
>> You're saying Cory obviously about about
the size of this club. I mean I was
looking at your record you've played
against them for I think five different
teams start off in Macklesfield.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> So yeah. What what's it even then when
when you were playing like Bradford in
in League two? Did you sort of was it
was one of those things of what are this
club doing at this level sort of thing?
>> Yeah, I I've always looked and thought
it's a massive club. Um everyone knows
that. Um and yeah, like like I say,
they're on a journey now and it's going
the right direction. And when I was
playing them in League Two, obviously in
League One, I've always when I've came
here to the stadium, I thought it's it's
massive. It's like the club, the
stadium, everything about it. And like I
say, I'm just happy to be part of that.
Now,
>> I was gonna say because you also sense
that, you know, within the team when
you're playing against them, you wanted
to put one over them because because of
the size of the stadium and the the
amount of fans, it it sort of became a
bit of an occasion, doesn't it?
>> Yeah, definitely. I think when you play
big teams like that, you think it's an
opportunity to go and put a marker down
and that's what you always felt uh
playing against Bradford because it's a
big team, big club, and you want to go
and you you want to go and win. So, you
pick your game up a bit against them. I
was going to say, so now you're on the
other side of the coin where you're that
that team that other teams are looking
up to, isn't it? And and you could sort
of sense that expectation.
>> Yeah, exactly that. Um, like I say, I've
came here loads of times and it's like h
like not a nice place to come as a
opposition player. So hopefully we can
use that now on as a Bradford player, we
can use that. So when away teams come,
it's a bit like of a fortress. Yeah, I
was going to say because obviously your
first day you was you were sat there
watching and and they lost to Cambridge
which is unusual but obviously getting
back to beating Mansfield and and this
home record has been particularly
impressive over the last couple of
years.
>> Yeah. Um obviously that was my when I
signed against Cambridge and I was in
the crowd and just looking around it was
massive. Like I was I was up in the sky
and I thought I've never been this high.
Do you know what I mean? So it was good
and um yeah like you say obviously got
back to winning ways against Mansfield
at the stadium where the place was
really good. bounced in then and yeah,
I'm really looking forward to getting
out in front of the fans there.
>> And and talk to Josh Nerfield when when
he came here from Wimbledon and
obviously he came as a wing back.
>> Yeah.
>> And he said, "But playing wing back for
Bradford just seems totally different."
>> Have you sort of already experienced
even from Tuesday night how how
different it is.
>> Yeah, definitely. Um the gaffer told me
a few bits before the game which I
haven't really done before which I've
been playing wing back for years now. Do
you know what I mean? So, but I enjoy
it. Um there's a lot of emphasis on the
attacking side of the game, staying high
and wide, which ultimately is my best
part of my game. So I think that'll help
me a lot. And then defensively, the gaff
was telling me little bits and bobs,
which is going to help me as well. So
yeah, it is different, but I'm getting
used to it and I'm enjoying it. I
>> was going to say, is that a nice part of
the fresh challenge? You're coming to a
new club and you've got a sort of a role
that you know, but it's sort of it's
it's slightly different. So you've got
sort of new bits to pick up.
>> Yeah, definitely. because obviously I've
been fullback, wing back now for maybe
seven, eight years, nine years. Um, and
I'm always learning and there's four or
five new things now that have came in
since I've been here and I'm enjoying
getting used to it and getting to work
on the training pitch.
>> And have you seen your data from Tuesday
night? Was it was it pretty high?
>> Uh, I've been told it's quite high. I
haven't quite seen it yet. We'll see it
when we're in the gym, but I've been
told it was high.
>> Yeah. I mean did afterwards after that
game must must be great satisfaction
because I mean when you come into a team
that you 10 outfield players I don't
know how often you've played in a team
like that but you know it was always
going to think well is it going to be a
bit disjointed here but it seemed to get
that rhythm and momentum quite quickly.
>> Yeah of course um that was a few lads
debut as well so people haven't played
with people and like it was 10 new
changes so everyone's coming in to make
a point and I think the lad's done that
well.
>> Thank you. Did you do you think now Cory
you sort of come up to your pee you can
sort of your career can settle down and
sort of kick on again?
>> Yeah.
>> At at Bradford.
>> Yeah definitely. I think this that was a
big part of this move. I think um coming
to Bradford I can really kick on now and
uh like you say I'm coming to my peak
and I really want to push on and show
everyone what I can do
>> cuz it's been has it been like a bit of
a strange last year or so? I mean you
went you're at Barnes you went all to
stop but then you sort of came back to
Barnes then they changed the manager and
new manager this season.
a little bit of a strange time I suppose
I would think.
>> Yeah, it has been stop start. Um felt
like I haven't really got going there in
the last couple of years. Um and then
when I do get a couple of games and I
feel good I won't play and then I'll be
back in and back out but I think this
was definitely the right step for me and
I'm really excited for this
championship.
>> Yeah. How's the sort of style different?
I mean Stand Bars play intense style and
it's the same here. Is it is it sort of
totally different the sort of way they
sort of play here? Um yeah, it does feel
a lot different. Um obviously the press
is still a massive thing here. Um
getting in the face which I enjoy doing
that and then obviously there's so many
different roles and responsibilities
here. Um but yeah, it feels different
and like I say, I'm learning and it's
it's really good.
>> I would have thought when you were at
Bradford's in it's one of those you
couldn't get up here fast enough in some
I mean it seems to tick every box that
you could have possibly wanted.
>> Yeah, 100%. Um, and I've said this
before, as soon as my agent, so there
was little at the start of the window,
there was little whispers about teams
here and there, and I was thinking,
yeah, and then as soon as the Bradford
one come up, I thought, please don't let
it go. Like,
>> speak to I said, get on the phone to
them, get on the phone to them, blah,
blah, blah, and just don't let it go.
And then, um,
>> it was about a week and a half before
the deadline day, and then it was
getting close to deadline. I was
thinking, just, please let it happen.
And it has, and I'm delighted. Yeah, I
was just going to ask you the EFL Cup. I
mean, you got a great goal for Barsley
against Crew and you've you've had a
good day on on Tuesday. It's been a good
competition for you so far this season
and just goes to show, doesn't it? You
know, it's hopefully multiple.
>> Yeah, definitely. And um obviously the
draw now is next week
>> and hopefully we get a big tie and we go
and show what we can do somewhere away
from home.
>> Yeah.