The footballing world may owe Odemwingie a grovelling apology. According to the man himself, West Brom were to blame for that deadline day debacle.
Peter Odemwingie has explained to Soccer AM that his infamous failed move to Queens Park Rangers had been agreed by his then-employers West Brom.
The bizarre tale of the Nigerian strikers’ aborted switch to Loftus Road in January 2013 has become the stuff of legend in English football, with Odemwingie’s reputation almost irreparably tainted by the incident.
Popular opinion appeared to have pinned the blame squarely on the shoulders of the wantaway forward, after Odemwingie drove from the Midlands to Loftus Road to apparently force through a move to QPR only to be turned away at the gates and return to the Hawthorns amid understandable humiliation.
West Brom were also quick to lambast the actions of their clearly confused forward, with then-Baggies gaffer Steve Clarke accusing Odemwingie of “total lunacy” and claiming that he never had permission to travel to the capital with just a few hours of the transfer window remaining, according to The Guardian.
However, Odemwingie has now presented his own side of the story, suggesting that it was West Brom’s mismanagement that caused the misunderstanding.
“I got a bit famous for the wrong things!” the currently unattached striker told Soccer AM on Sky Sports. “I did believe the deal was done, I was in the morning in the dressing room, listening to the agent and the sporting director and everything seemed clear, like the deal would go through.
“But they didn’t tell me there was a condition that one of the QPR players [Junior Hoilett, below] had to go [to West Brom]. That failed and then, obviously, the deal collapsed after that. People probably don’t know the details of it.
“[West Brom] said goodbye, like properly. I was happy, I promised my teammates a meal to thank them for all the support and encouragement they gave me. I thought the deal was done but Junior Hoilett changed his mind for some reason but people didn’t know that. I did feel a bit embarrassed.”
Whether or not Odemwingie believed he was acting within his rights or simply taking matters into his own hands will remain the subject of debate but one thing is for sure, one of the oddest stories in English football has just got a whole lot stranger.
The 35-year-old failed to recapture the form that made him one of the league’s most feared strikers at the Hawthorns during disappointing stints at Cardiff and Stoke, with Hull City (below) backing out of a deal to sign him on a free transfer this summer.
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