Can Garry O'Connor Play at Millwall on Saturday ?

GOOD LUCK GAZ

Blues manager Alex McLeish has wished Garry O'Connor all the best for the next chapter in his career after confirming the Scottish striker has left the club.

The 27-year-old's contract expired on Saturday and Championship side Barnsley, where O'Connor had been on loan for the last couple of months, have confirmed he has signed a deal with them until the end of the season.

McLeish said that, mainly due to injury, Blues fans had never quite seen the best of O'Connor but that the man signed from Lokomotiv Moscow in July 2007 had always given his all for the cause.



McLeish told bcfc.com: "We wish O'Connor well and it's great for him that he has signed a deal with Barnsley.

"He's a good player and it's unfortunate that the Blues supporters never got chance to see the very best of him during his time here, although they definitely saw flashes of it with some of the performances he put in and important goals he scored, particularly in the promotion season.

"The double hip injury he sustained was a real blow for him and came just as it looked like his Birmingham City career was on an upward curve and, as everyone knows, he had to have two operations to solve the problems.

"But he's a great character and a fighter and he came back from that and I'm sure everyone at Blues will join me in wishing him all the very best for the future.

"We just felt, and I'm sure he did too, that it was time to go in a different direction. That happens in football and as I say I wish him well."

In his three years at St. Andrew's O'Connor racked up 70 appearances for Blues, scoring 14 goals.