'I got call from Harry Redknapp just like Peter Odemwingie on deadline day - I refused to go'
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I got call from Harry Redknapp just like Peter Odemwingie on deadline day - I refused to go
In a revealing account mirroring the infamous 2013 transfer fiasco involving Peter Odemwingie, an unnamed footballer recounts receiving a last-minute call from Harry Redknapp during his QPR tenure, urging him to rush to Loftus Road amid deadline-day chaos—but he wisely refused, learning from Odemwingie's blunder.[1]
The original saga unfolded when QPR desperately pursued West Brom striker Peter Odemwingie in the transfer window's final hours. Redknapp, confident a deal was imminent despite no agreement on wages or terms, instructed Odemwingie: "Drive down to QPR and put yourself in a hotel somewhere so that you're close by."[1] Instead, the Nigerian forward misinterpreted the advice, driving 125 miles from Birmingham to Loftus Road, where he arrived unannounced, stepping out amid a media frenzy of cameras and reporters.[1][2]
Chaos ensued as Odemwingie signed autographs, gave interviews claiming a "new chapter," and waited in the car park—only to be denied entry since no deal was finalized with West Brom.[2][3] Redknapp lamented on talkSPORT: "He went straight to the football ground... the journos went crazy and that was the end of the deal!"[1] QPR clarified Odemwingie was neither invited nor permitted inside, out of respect for West Brom, who confirmed no permission was granted.[3]
Redknapp attributed it to "wires crossed," expressing sympathy for the embarrassed player, who returned to West Brom amid teammate confusion and fan backlash.[2][3] Odemwingie later reflected it was "90 per cent done" in his mind, calling it a mix of laughter and tears; he departed West Brom months later for Cardiff, then Stoke, where teammates still tease him as the "Odemwingie" punchline.[2]
While QPR secured other targets that day, Odemwingie's non-signing became football's most notorious deadline-day disaster.[3] The article's protagonist, heeding this lesson, ignored Redknapp's plea, avoiding a similar public humiliation and preserving his career trajectory unscathed.
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