Peter Odemwingie Celebrates His 35th Birthday Today

 

Peter Osaze Odemwingie (born 15 July 1981) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward and winger.

Odemwingie grew up in Russia and
Nigeria and began his career with Bendel Insurance in the Nigeria Premier League. He then earned a move to European football with Belgian side La Louvière where he spent three seasons before moving to French side Lille. Odemwingie scored 26 goals for Lille which prompted Lokomotiv Moscow to pay a fee of £10 million for his services in July 2007. He scored 23 times in three-and-a-half years for Lokomotiv before leaving for English side West Bromwich Albion in August 2010. He scored 30 Premier League goals for the Baggies which won him three Premier League Player of the Month awards. A failed move to Queens Park Rangers saw him fall out of favour with Steve Clarke and he was sold to Cardiff City in August 2013 for a fee of £2.25 million. He spent six months at Cardiff before joining Stoke City in a player-exchange with Kenwyne Jones in January 2014.

Odemwingie made his debut for the Nigeria national football team in 2002 and has represented the country over 60 times, including at two World Cups and four Africa Cup of Nations, as well as winning silver at the 2008 Olympics.