Nigeria: Odemwingie Warming up for Higher Ground Action – Osaze

Daily Independent (Lagos)

21 May 2011

If defenders are about to make life tougher for Peter Odemwingie, then it is only fair to warn them the Albion striker is about to make life tougher for defenders.

This thoughtful and intelligent Nigeria international, who has provided the goalscoring flourish to one of the teams of 2011, hasn’t finished his first season yet and already there is much talk about ‘second season syndrome.’

Like all cliches, there is more than a grain of truth in the theory. Having caught everyone – including the Hawthorns fans who have been enthralled by his football this season – unawares in the last nine months, he’s bound to find it harder to repeat the impact in the Premier League next time around.

The 15-goal striker is too smart not to be tuned in to this chatter but why not challenge one cliche with another? His best is yet to come.

He said: “They will pay more attention to me. The defenders will be looking at my qualities and what to do to stop me.

“I know that. It’s a challenge and I will embrace it. It might bring the best out of me. I will have to raise my game more and respond.

“It’s a barrier, another barrier in front of me and getting over that barrier is what sport is all about.

“When people know you, they become more focused when they play against you. But I have confidence. I have the qualities to do the same thing next year.

“I have got pace. I can play with both feet and I let myself remind me of that.

“I am now used to the intensity of the games. My body is ready to withstand this kind of tempo that you get in the Premier League.

“Can I get better? Of course.”

The form in which he is closing the season is even more sparkling – six goals in the last eight games.

He said: “I can’t say it’s become less difficult but then I’ve felt good physically, my endurance levels have been raised.

“That’s why I feel physically good. And more energy will give me extra chances to score.”

While there is much talk about bigger clubs homing in on the Baggies this summer and walloping Jeremy Peace over the head with a hefty transfer cheque, there are realities that count against Odemwingie’s departure.

For a start, he is one of football’s best kept secrets. A career spent compiling perfectly decent ‘stats’ in Belgian, French and Russian league football is nevertheless into its final third. He will be 30 in the summer and the kind of money Albion would require to even think about thinking about selling him is unlikely to be risked on a player turning that age corner.

But there is more. Odemwingie is not your common-or-garden footballer. Gentle of spirit, delightful in nature, he is an absolute gentlemen, I do not suspect there will be risqué tweets or drunken excesses emanating from his Albion stay.

The son of academic parents – his Nigerian father and Russian mother are both doctors, his father now working for Unicef – he speaks four languages and is thirsty for even more.

Odemwingie relishes making friends with team-mates from other corners of the globe who bring different cultures and language to his attention.

This is not a man chasing the biggest pay cheque but a rounded ‘citizen of the world’ eager to enjoy what it has to offer. And here in our humble West Midlands he is relishing every second of his stay.

While we may all be locked into the misery of this nation’s ‘austerity’ package, walk a mile in Odemwingie’s shoes and you see a different world.

“I love England,” he says, before shooting a look which says ‘you don’t realise how lucky you are in this world’ as I raise an eyebrow of incredulity.

“No, this is a very good country. I find it a very positive country. Lots of positive people. People love their jobs. I’m someone like that too. It’s nice that they seem to enjoy their work. The atmosphere in this country is so positive. I like it.

“The cold? That is nothing new to me. I’ve played in the north of France, in Belgium and in Russia. It doesn’t bother me.

“I have been made really welcome here at the club, better than I thought I would be. I’m lucky with the group of team-mates I have. We have a lot of fun.

“I have a lot of friends and family who come over to see the games. It’s the Premier League and they love to come around.

“Other times I hang out with the lads, especially when we have had a good result – we go out as a team and enjoy ourselves.

“I speak French, Russian, English a little bit of Portuguese. Every time I come into contact with a new language, through a team-mate or a new country, I like to learn.

“I have enjoyed the confidence of both of the managers. Roberto Di Matteo believed in me and Roy Hodgson the same thing. I have had the encouragement to be motivated and all these little things add up to you playing well.

“After the season is finished we will have a talk about everything. But I’ve already met with the sporting director to talk about the future. What’s in their mind? What are their plans? Everything here is positive. The club is happy with me and that’s positive for me.”

Odemwingie has to be Albion’s most exciting spearhead since a young Cyrille Regis was scorching across the turf and their shared experience extends to the ugly outbreak of racism which marked the former Lokomotiv forward’s early months here.

A racist banner, criticising Odemwingie’s form in Russia, was displayed by Lokomotiv fans. His footballing forefather Regis would have known what Odemwingie was going through but there was no anger from the man himself.

He said: “Any person would be disappointed when things like that happen. For me it was sad. There’s so many good people out there but when things like that happen, they are not the ones being heard on TV or through the newspapers.

“I received fan mail from Russia, from deep inside Russia, little places which few people have heard of, all supporting me. That saddens me that we never hear their view – it’s the way these things happen.

“But I have great support now from playing for West Brom. There is a supporters’ club branch in Russia now. And in Nigeria, there are folk wearing Baggies shirts with my name on.

“It is fantastic.”

It certainly is, Mr Odemwingie. It certainly is.

AllAfrica – All the Time