Rewind to 2013 and Peter Odemwingie was the story of the January transfer window as an errant drive to London created one of the most memorable moments in English football history.
Hours before the transfer window closed on February 1, 2013, the then West Brom striker believed a move to QPR was imminent as he took on the journey from the Midlands to the capital.
The two clubs had tried to strike a deal with Odemwingie jumping the gun and driving to Loftus Road to ensure the paperwork was completed, and even gave a now iconic interview to Sky Sports discussing his future.
But no deal materialized, and instead of being welcomed with open arms, Odemwingie was locked out of QPR and forced to circle the block before returning north to the team he had parted ways with the day before.
Now the infamous moment is just a brief memory for the 43-year-old who is trying to carve out a career for himself in another top sport after retiring from football in 2019.
Golf is a favorite hobby of many footballers – just ask Gareth Bale – and Odemwingie is no different having first been introduced to the sport during his time at West Brom, but only developed a passion for it when he signed for Stoke .
Former Potters boss Mark Hughes was in charge at the time and after an introduction on the tee, Odemwingie wanted more. So much so that the deadline day icon is now a professional golfer.
From one sport to another, the Nigerian has lost none of his competitiveness and boasts lofty goals for great success after joining the Professional Golfers' Association (PGA).
His dream now is to qualify for the PGA Tour, where he would compete alongside the likes of Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, with a route to the prestigious Open also available.
In 2020, the former striker announced his intentions to become a professional golfer and talked about his plans to qualify for the EuroPro Tour after completing PGA training.
Odemwingie, a two-handicapper at the time, likened passing his playing test on the final putt to “scoring a last-minute free kick and taking home three points.”
He also dreams of coaching players in his two home countries, Russia (Odemwingie was born in the USSR, in what is now Uzbekistan) and Nigeria, but in the meantime is fully focused on taking his playing career as far as possible.
However, it is not just finding fairways that has brought Odemwingie to this point. Post-football retirement is usually a time when players start spending the huge amounts of money they have earned during their careers, but for the ex-Premier League star it has been a journey back to education.
After four years studying at the University of Birmingham, he graduated with a foundation degree in professional golf studies and later told the BBC it was one of the proudest moments of his career.
“It was a proud moment for me,” he said as he recalled his route through college, though it was not without challenges.
“On graduation day, when I saw how happy everyone was, I realized that it was taking some effort for all of us to get over the finish line because a few people were dropping out.
“I miss it a bit now.”
Through his studies, Odemwingie has gained insight into the psychology and business behind golf and he now wants to use that knowledge to inspire other young people in Nigeria to set up a club.
“One of my dreams is to see a Nigerian flag on the European Tour or PGA Tour,” Odemwingie outlines.
'Hopefully my story will encourage people to get involved, encourage parents to bring their children and give them a sense of golf. I'm sure many of them will fall in love with the game like I did.”
But it's not just golf where the ex-footballer is making a name for himself, as his social media exploits have earned him some fame – at least among football fans – for being a TikTok singing sensation.
Odemwingie regularly posts videos of himself performing songs – often with religious undertones – while playing the guitar, much to the surprise of his fans.
But supporters have responded en masse to the varied content, with some of his videos – including a tribute to his time at Stoke City with 'Lady in Red' – having been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
In one attention-grabbing video, Odemwingie performed The Eagles' “Hotel California,” racking up 167,000 views.
Another performance took place after the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Odemwingie posted a video on social media of himself singing Bob Marley and the Wailers' big hit, “No Woman, No Cry.”
But as well as attracting new followers to his musical style, the social media site has also allowed countless fans to rediscover the former Premier League star – and get to know him for more than just a failed trip to West London.
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