Ex-Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday man shares Steve Bruce impact on Blackpool decision

The 27-year-old joined the Seasiders officially back in October following a trial period at Squires Gate.

In nine appearances in Tangerine, the ex-Tottenham Hotspur youngster recorded one goal and one assist, with fitness issues and injuries halting his progress.

Prior to signing for Blackpool, Onomah had spent over 12 months without a club, after leaving Preston North End in the summer of 2023.

Discussing his contract extension at Bloomfield Road, the midfielder told Tangerine TV: “I’m excited. I obviously signed a short-term deal in October, and it was like ‘what happens next?’

“Now, I know I’m here until the end of the season so I can now focus on the pitch and push for promotion.

“As a professional footballer there’s stuff you’ve got to deal with all of the time, you’ve just got to focus on the main thing and the rest will take care of itself.

“I’m here until the end of the season now, so I can sort the little stuff like accommodation, where I’m staying, and bringing my clothes up.

“I’ve been here for the last three months and I’ve developed relationships with all of the players. It’s a good group of lads, and I know we have a good chance of pushing for promotion.

“We’re all just excited for the challenges, seeing the new players coming in to make it more competitive.”

A strong relationship

Onomah knows Blackpool head coach Steve Bruce well, having worked with the 64-year-old in the past while on loan with Aston Villa and Sheffield Wednesday from Tottenham Hotspur.

The former England youth international admits the experienced manager did have an influence on his ambitions to stay with the Seasiders.

“We have a long history, so we’ve always had that relationship,” he added.

“When he first came in, it boosted me in terms of wanting to sign here even more. It didn’t take much convincing because I can see the project and where we want to get to - I want to be a part of that.

“He (Steve Bruce) is a man that has loads of experience in the game, we’re talking over 20 to 30 years. Any little bit of advice from him - you take it all in.

“He’s very honest with me, so if I’m having a bad training session, then he’ll let me know, which is what you want from your manager. I feel like that’s important for me.”

Bruce’s thoughts on Onomah

Discussing the new agreement with Onomah, Bruce shared his pleasure to get the deal over the line.

“We’re delighted to do that, I’m pleased for Josh,” he said.

“Let’s hope he can stay well, and if does that then we know we’ve got a very decent player. The big thing for him is to keep plugging away to make sure his body doesn’t let him down.

“He’s trained every day, and has deserved his contract until the end of the season, and let’s hope we can get another one under his belt when he does well in the second half of the season.”