Osaze is not an Angel

 Nigeria international striker Peter Odemwingie has admitted that he could get angry like any other individual but reckons criticism targeted at him are unfair.

Odemwingie has courted controversy in the past with the nadir at former club, West Browmwich Albion after he unsuccessfully tried to force a transfer to Queens Park Rangers in January, 2013.

The striker however insists he was made to look like the “bad guy” following the incident.

"It was hard to take," Odemwingie, who is in such good form and has been recalled by Nigeria for the World Cup, told www.express.co.uk.

He added that the public did not get to know the real story surrounding the incident which saw him get a lot of bad press.

"I had not been playing much, and there were other things people don't know. I said to the chairman that as I'm not a key player any more, can I have an evaluation to leave in the summer? They refused.

"But I said they can't have it always their own way. I asked for a nice meeting with the chairman, but they refused to give me any valuation.

"Steve Clarke said in an interview there was a point where he thought the deal was done. But nobody picked up on that, they just picked up on seeing me at Loftus Road,” he said.

Odemwingie says he left West Brom peacefully, the deal 90 per cent done, promised the players a farewell meal, gave the kit man some money for the ladies in the laundry, and said goodbye to kitchen staff.

"If the club had handled it different, saying what had happened, it would have closed the chapter, we'd have moved on, but they didn't and I became the bad guy.

"They refused to make that statement. Why? Because they wanted to show they always decide, they wanted to show their strength, they are the boss.

"It came out as if I was greedy. But I cared about the club. I played in numerous games with injections that affected my body. Not everybody knows everything. I was very committed," he said.

The Baggies have had a torrid season, only just avoiding relegation, while Odemwingie has scored six goals in 14 games and put Stoke on the verge of a record-breaking campaign. A win will give them a top-10 Premier League finish for the first time and break their best points haul.

Odemwingie revealed that his wife and son were made to suffer when they watched one of his game for West Brom at the Hawthorns.

"I didn't know she was going (to be in the stadium). I was so surprised. It was her first time at a football stadium. I went to welcome her, my wife and baby, but the atmosphere was bad.

"People just picked up singing abusive things. My wife was in tears. But these fans, they don't know nothing about what really happened. People were misinformed and they are still (being) misinformed.

"The club asked me to show some respect to them and my team-mates. The club showed no respect to me.

"I am not an angel, I have a temper sometimes, but I love peace, I was never like that before.

"I never went to the public with my laundry, I was always trying to protect West Brom's image, until they went too far.

"I would have taken some responsibility, but not all of it. There was me, agents, West Brom. They wanted to fine me for saying the things I am to you now, but they never did.

"They had a guy being abused in his home stadium for something he didn't do. They watched and did nothing about it. I have a second chance with Stoke, but I was never the man they painted me,” he said.