O'Keefe managed to recover in time for the club's pre-season tour of Japan and the United States, and was rewarded with a new two-year contract. However, he found himself on the bench in the 1981–82 season under new manager Howard Kendall, and put in a transfer request. He was then transferred to Wigan Athletic for a £65,000 fee in January 1982, signing a four-year contract. Under manager Larry Lloyd the "Latics" won promotion out of the Fourth Division in third place in 1981–82. He helped Wigan to consolidate their Third Division status in 1982–83, but was transfer-listed after the club went into liquidation, his wages being too high for the club to sustain.