Peter Odemwingie was adamant he was a new player for Queens Park Rangers in 2013. However, any interviews for the supposedly new employer came too early.
It’s rare for transfers to fall through in the final yards, but sometimes clubs can’t agree on the final details. César Azpilicueta, for example, was on the verge of a move to FC Barcelona for a long time, but in the end Chelsea FC’s demands were too high for the Catalans – and the Spaniard extended his contract with the Blues.
With Peter Odemwingie, however, the transfer drama should be a bit more curious. The player was certain that he would be part of the Queens Park Rangers squad, but the move fell through in the final meters. And that despite the fact that Odemwingie has already given interviews for the new club. But let’s start from the beginning.
From West Brom to QPR: Odemwingie on the way to the new club
On Deadline Day 2013, Peter Odemwingie was on his way from West Brom to QPR and was already on his way to his supposedly new club. Until then he was sure that all he had to do was sign the contract with the Super Hoops.
He gave interviews from his car and spent four hours signing autographs for fans of his supposedly new club. However, the Nigerian then learned that the deal fell through. Long story short: Odemwingie drove back to West Bromwich by car.
In conversation with Sky Sports he came back to the failed deal two years later. “I wish none of this had happened, but that’s life. I didn’t know what to think, I laughed and cried almost at the same time,” he said.
But the 41-year-old quickly realized that he had to be back for West Brom, as he continued: “I knew I had to come back, the window was closed and the change didn’t happen. “
No more car interviews: Odemwingie learned from the failed QPR deal
The winger then had to take a lot of criticism, especially the West Brom fans could not understand his behavior. “I felt the deal was done, I had nothing to hide and when the cameras came I didn’t feel uncomfortable saying what I thought,” he explained of his behavior at the time.
Odemwingie also struggled with the fan criticism at the time, as he explained: “It was hard with the fans. Now I’m still reminded of it. I’ve learned to only conduct pre-arranged interviews and not from my car!”
The Premier League striker then moved from West Brom to Cardiff, where he didn’t stay long, however, going on to score for Stoke City from 2014 to 2016. Bristol City and Rotherham were then his last two English clubs. Madura United FC was the name of the last professional football station in Indonesia – so he was never to play for Queens Park Rangers. And this despite the fact that it was once so close to the club premises.
