Peter Odemwingie set for special visit to The Hawthorns for West Brom v Stoke
Former West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie is set to return to The Hawthorns as the club takes on Stoke City in the Championship this weekend.
Albion’s Premier League record goalscorer, who netted 30 times during his three-year spell at the club, went down in deadline-day folklore in the winter of 2013 when memorably trying to force through a transfer to QPR by driving to Loftus Road and performing an interview out of his car window.
Almost ten years on and Odemwingie finds himself on much more amicable terms with his former club after returning in September to partake in James Morrison’s and Chris Brunt’s ‘Clash of Legends’ encounter.
Posting on his Twitter account, Odemwingie notified fans of his return by saying: “I am at the Hawthorns tomorrow. Wishing everyone a fun day.”
How times have changed
Rewind almost ten years and it would be a near miracle to see a single West Brom fan warmly receiving the Nigerian striker at the West Midlands club.
No sooner had Odemwingie pulled up outside Loftus Road in 2013 – winding down his window and speaking with confidence about his imminent move to QPR – had he been sent packing back down the M1, still a West Brom player.
After being disciplined by the club, the forward returned to the XI a month later to a chorus of boos and a backdrop of controversy. His fractious relationship with the Baggies faithful could never be fully restored and he left later that summer.
But for however much fans hated him at the time, it is easy to forget what the Nigerian did for the club. When he got it right, he was a brilliant Premier League forward, and his name will remain etched at the top of The Baggies’ leading Premier League scorers chart for some time to come.
In other West Brom news, a West Brom fan group is eager to recruit new members to discuss key matters