West Brom boss Roy Hodgson believes Peter Odemwingie deserves new contract

Peter Odemwingie scores from the spot during West Brom’s draw at West Ham (Getty Images)

Related Links

Teams

Players

West Brom manager Roy Hodgson believes the club would be keen to reward top scorer Peter Odemwingie with a new contract in the summer.

The 29-year-old striker has been a revelation for the Baggies since signing from Lokomotiv Moscow for £1 million last summer, scoring 14 times in the Premier League to help his side secure their survival in the top flight.

Odemwingie currently has a year left remaining on his contract with an additional 12-month option, but Hodgson is confident his chairman would have no problem offering a new deal based on the striker’s impressive form this term.

“I’m pretty sure the club would be prepared to discuss an extension of Peter’s contract,” he told reporters.

“It would surprise me if they aren’t. If that happens, it would be deserved.

“The chairman Jeremy Peace works here in a sensible way. He rewards success and he rewards people for doing a bit extra.”

Hodgson has been won over by Odemwingie’s contribution in the second half of this season after readily admitting the Nigerian was not his first choice striker when he arrived in January.

“I left Peter out of a couple of the early games which I suppose was never going to endear him to me,” he added.

“He wasn’t scoring at the time, people were beginning to doubt his ability and that was shining through a little bit in terms of his attitude throughout.

“That’s what front players are like. They are moody people. When they are scoring goals, the world is a beautiful place.

“When they stop scoring goals, everything is wrong with the world and it is everyone’s fault except their own. That’s the way they operate as a breed.”