New York - Arabstoday
Birmingham sent Garry O’Connor to America for rehab after discovering he took cocaine. Scottish striker O’Connor, 28, was this week revealed to have tested positive at Brum in October 2009. The forward, signed from Lokomotiv Moscow in June 2007 for £2.6million, was fined by City, who were then in the Premier League. But Birmingham packed O’Connor off to Arizona for treatment after he was banned by the FA. A BCFC source told Mirrorsport: “In the spirit of the FA’s intentions of allowing rehabilitation of those detected to have abused social drugs, we subscribed to that and facilitated our player’s rehab in the US. “He responded very well to the support from the club.” O’Connor never played for City again in the 2009/2010 campaign as Alex McLeish’s then side finished ninth. He later quit on a free this summer after being loan to Championship Barnsley having scored just 12 goals in 61 games for Brum. O’Connor has since rejoined Hibs.Birmingham City declined to comment.