Burnley forward Michael Obafemi has remained with Blackpool since his loan spell at Bloomfield Road was cut short through injury.
Michael Obafemi was unable to make a real impact on the pitch for Blackpool after his loan spell was cut short through injury - but his presence is still being utilised behind-the-scenes.
The striker made the move to Bloomfield Road from Burnley in January, after an unsuccessful temporary stint with VfL Bochum was brought to an early conclusion.
With just two outings coming his way in 2. Bundesliga, the 25-year-old arrived on the Fylde Coast looking to rebuild his match fitness.
Unfortunately, his time in Tangerine never took off, with an ankle injury in February ending his season less than a month on from his Seasiders switch.
On the back of his career-best form with Swansea City, Obafemi hasn’t been able to replicate the same levels since his move to Turf Moor in 2023.
Despite not seeing the full extent of what the ex-Southampton youngster is capable of in action, Blackpool boss Ian Evatt has enjoyed having him at Squires Gate, with the forward not returning to Burnley for his recovery.
“He’s stayed around,” the Seasiders head coach explained.
“His energy is larger than life so he’s good fun to be around. The biggest thing I can say about the players, even in the difficult times, Squires Gate has always been a positive environment.
“It’s important that I share that with people who don’t get to see it. It’s been a positive learning environment, so I’ve always had the belief that we could get ourselves out of trouble.
“Oba’s (Michael Obafemi) a small part of that, with his character, his energy, and his sloppiness at times. He’s not in my good books at the moment because he eats my sweeteners like they’re Tic Tac’s, so I have to have sugar in my coffee now.
“Other than that, he’s a good guy and a pleasure to be around. It’s a mark of the culture that we’re trying to build here, that players want to be a part of it and want to stay around. The fact he wanted to be around us shows that we’re creating something special and something we can be proud of.
“We want all of the players to come into Squires and enjoy their work.”
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