Osaze prepares nine months old son for football
In his debut Footballers’ Football Column, out of favour Super Eagles striker, Osaze Odemwingie reveals how he has been relishing life as a family man after settling down at Cardiff City. The half-caste footballer is particularly thrilled with the time he has been spending with his nine months old son whom he has started preparing for football by getting him a full Cardiff kit.
“I have already bought a full Cardiff kit for my son. He is only nine months old, but he likes his kit,” said the former West Brom forward.
“This is probably the happiest period I have been as a person. In the time I was on the side at West Brom I really got to know my wife more and we are very happy. Coming to Cardiff has given me football again.n It is going well and I hope it stays that way.
“We are very happy where we live and we have been going out with our two dogs.The other day we ended up in this beautiful, huge park and by the time we got back to the gates we had been locked in. It was a long walk home, but everything is very attractive here.
“I feel very happy right now. I have been through quite a lot this year and so far my time at Cardiff has felt like a new start.”
On the derby against Swansea which was the first time the two teams would clash in the EPL, Odemwingie described the atmosphere before and after the game as incredible.
“The derby was incredible. The atmosphere and noise was amazing – they are the games you love playing. You could feel how important the game was during the build up at the training ground. Everyone was up for that game.
“In the dressing room beforehand, looking at the guys, you could see how important it was. You meet fans around the city and they always mentioned this game – for us to win was wonderful. I’ll never forget the noise when the goal went in and at the end when the referee blew the whistle.
“I played in big derbies before. For West Brom, playing against Aston Villa and Birmingham was always big, but the Wolves games were also always huge too.This game was like that. Every tackle gets the crowd going crazy, every run.
“Thankfully there was no trouble – it was just a great atmosphere. I remember a game I went to in Nigeria, my first ever game as a spectator, and there was a little riot. I was about five years old and there was tear gas and stuff. Thankfully this was just a great atmosphere between the fans and a game both clubs wanted to win.
“After some of the stuff that has been said about the club recently it was just great to go out there and get a result and make everyone happy again.
“After the game everyone at the club was very happy. It was a really joyful moment. We felt we had achieved something. The main goal is still to stay up but it was a special result and now we feel a bit safer.”
Even though, the light skinned star scored his first goal for Cardiff in the EPL game against Newcastle, he revealed that he was still trying to settle down in his new base.
“For me, it has been great at Cardiff. I scored my first goal at the Cardiff City Stadium against Newcastle a few weeks ago and it felt really good to hear the crowd calling my name again.
“I am still settling into the city. Since we moved to Cardiff, to a place called Penarth, we have not fully got ourselves set up. I don’t have any internet and the television is not set up. It’s actually been quite nice, just relaxing with my wife and our son.
“My mum came over from Russia and she stayed with us for a week – she actually said ‘don’t sort the TV, just relax with your family’. It has just been a really nice time, being around my family and talking about stuff, focussing on football.
“I love challenges. I always have. Maybe that is why I have played in so many countries. Coming to Cardiff was a challenge. After what happened at West Brom I want to remind people that I am a football player.
“And at Cardiff we have a big challenge to stay in the Premier League. It is a hard, hard league. We need to show to people who doubt us that we can stay in it. People say we will go down. It is our fight to show they are wrong
“For that reason there is a great energy here. I cannot tell you fully how great that is. It is nice to come to work every day with people who have something to prove, who want to get better.
“Here, there are no players who just sit around and are comfortable. This is like West Brom in my first season there – a real energy. For me, it is a pure joy to be around.
“The fans here have been great for me. A few times in the warm-up the Cardiff fans have given me banter about West Brom and what happened at QPR. I found it funny and liked it – it shows they have accepted me. They have sung my name and that is very special for me.”
