The academy manager of League Two Stevenage, who was in caretaker charge of the Boro first team recently before they appointed Paul Tisdale,

O`Keefe was a midfielder who actually started his playing days as a teenager with the club where he was to later enjoy tremendous success, Arlesey Town.

After a spell with Vauxhall Motors, he joined Wealdstone in the Conference.

He then arrived at Stevenage Borough as a highly experienced midfielder to lead the club’s charge out of Isthmian League Division Two North.

He was highly significant in a resurgent Hitchin Town during the 1990s.

Then, under O`Keefe`s guidance as player/joint manager with Phil Cavener, Arlesey Town were crowned as champions of the South Midlands League in 1994/95.

The team also embarked on a memorable FA Vase run in the same season, twelve months after reaching the quarter final stage.

Hoddesdon Town, Boston Town, Barnstaple Town, Diss Town and Cammell Laird were all defeated.

In the semi-final tie against Raunds Town, Arlesey trailed 3-0 after the first leg at Kiln Park before a thumping 5-0 win at Lamb Meadow set up a Wembley final against Oxford City.

Goals from Paul Palma and a winner from Sandor Gyalog 10 minutes from time secured Arlesey 2-1 win to lift the trophy.

May 1997 saw O`Keefe tender his resignation at Arlesey, moving on to a higher grade of football with then-Southern League Baldock Town.

He was manager of Hitchin between 2001 and 2003 before being replaced by former Chelsea and England striker Kerry Dixon and returned to the club in 2009 as director of youth football.

In May 2016, he was appointed as joint manager of St Neots Town, then in the Southern Premier Division, alongside Andy Davies, whilst remaining as academy manager at Stevenage.

However, family commitments forced him to drop his St Neots role the following August.