Odemwingie defends actions

10 May 2013 14:45
Striker insists failed move not engineered by money

Peter Odemwingie claims he’s had the worst four months of his life following his failed transfer deadline day move to Queens Park Rangers.

The striker – upset by comments made by former boss Roy Hodgson – claimed he was so desperate to leave the club he would’ve paid £1m of his own money to get away.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, Odemwingie said he’s “had probably the worst four months of my whole life” following the repercussions of his failed transfer.

Odemwingie was widely ridiculed from within the football community for waiting outside Loftus Road on transfer deadline day with his agent waiting to pen a switch to then bottom club QPR.

However, when the deal fell through, Odemwingie was forced to return to The Hawthorns and to face the wrath of unhappy Albion fans. Baggies boss Steve Clarke welcomed Odemwingie back into this squad. But following a string of outbursts on Twitter it seems the striker has burned bridges with the club, its fans and his teammates. 

“The truth is I wanted to revive my career because things were never the same after the interview where Roy blasted me,” he said in the interview.

“The club doctor knows my type of character really well. He knows I have played a number of games while I was not fully fit.

“After Roy doubted my commitment things were never the same for me at the club. This is the issue why I was not happy. Without going into details, the most hurting part of it all is my personal relationship with people inside the team.

“In the summer I felt it was that bad for me that I was ready to quit top-flight football to just go.

“I did the job for the club and the fans and I asked the chairman nicely. I said ‘listen, something happened in this season that I have never gone through in my playing career and the atmosphere for me is not so pleasant, so I would like to leave the club’.

“I wasn’t happy that they didn’t respect my decision when I wanted to call it a day because I believed that I had done well for a few years.

“Even though I had a few fall-outs, I kept quiet and waited until the end of the season and told him that I wanted to change clubs because I’m afraid with the way I am that if anyone provokes me in the next season I might explode.

“I also made sure the offer I brought was enough to get the club a replacement, which was more than double the sum I came to the Albion for.

“But because the Albion fans think I just woke up one day and said I wanted to leave the club, a club where the whole stadium sings my name, a club where my wife lives near to, I’m happy here... to go on and say I just want to leave the club is mad.”

Can you still forgive Odemwingie for his attacks on the club? Have your say here at Baggies Banter. 

Source: WBA MAD

Source: FOOTYMAD