Odemwingie – Why I left West Brom for a smaller club

Former Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie has opened up on the circumstances behind his controversial departure from West Bromwich Albion and why he was willing to leave the club for a smaller side in 2013, Soccernet.ng reports.

The former Lille forward joined the Baggies in the summer of 2010 on an initial two-year contract after leaving Russian side Lokomotiv Moscow, where he had established himself as one of the club's most important players.

Odemwingie made an immediate impact in England, scoring on his Premier League debut in a 1-0 victory over Sunderland. He went on to enjoy an impressive first season at the club, which earned him a contract extension.

The former Nigerian international was also linked with a move away from West Brom, with several clubs showing interest in him, including Juventus and Wigan Athletic. The Baggies even turned down an offer from the latter before handing Odemwingie a new contract.

However, several injury setbacks affected his time at the club, while other incidents eventually made him want to force a move away during the January 2013 transfer window.

Queens Park Rangers were among the clubs interested in signing him, and Odemwingie pushed for a move to Loftus Road. The transfer fell through in controversial circumstances on transfer deadline day.

The former Super Eagles striker was subsequently punished by West Brom before he was eventually reinstated into the team. He ultimately left the club a few months later, but he has now reflected on what really happened and why he wanted to leave in the first place.

Odemwingie reveals why he left West Brom for a smaller club

Although his move to QPR did not materialise in January 2013, Odemwingie eventually secured a move away from West Brom a few months later. The three-time AFCON bronze medallist joined Cardiff City later in 2013 in a deal reportedly worth around £2.25 million.

However, he explained that an incident in the dressing room had created tension between him and some of his teammates, despite insisting that he never said what he was accused of saying.

“We have to address another issue — why I left West Brom for a smaller club, maybe Queens Park Rangers at that time. That was already six months before that when I wanted out, and there are a few reasons”, Odemwingie said in a video on his Instagram page.

“When players hold a meeting that not everybody is present at, like the bigger players of the squad, but a few of them. And they hold a meeting accusing me that I said something that offended them, while it was the same words their manager at that time, Roy Hodgson, said publicly.

“The worst thing is I never said that.”

Odemwingie explains what happened in the dressing-room

The former Nigerian international went on to explain the incident, which happened after West Brom suffered a 2-0 defeat to Everton.

According to Odemwingie, he had a heated exchange with goalkeeper Ben Foster after the game, but his words were allegedly misunderstood and later caused problems within the squad.

“After a 2-0 defeat to Everton, I had an exchange of words with Ben Foster, and somebody said apparently I said, ‘If not for me, we would have relegated the previous season.’ But I never said that. I was saying to something else to Foster”, he added.

“They were offended that I basically said what Roy Hodgson had already publicly said, and the manager himself called for a meeting for me to apologize for those words.

“So being in that dressing room was not an option for me anymore, and it was never the same. Unfortunately, as much as I love the club and the fans who still love me till today, it was not something I was ready to deal with.”

Odemwingie eventually left West Brom and continued his career with Cardiff City. The former Super Eagles forward then went on to also play for the likes of Stoke City, Bristol City, Rotherham United and Madura United in Indonesia, before he called time on his playing career in 2018.