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| Pix by stokesentinel.co.uk |
OSAZE Peter Odemwingie says he has needed to learn to be patient as he returns from a serious knee injury – but believes he will soon be back among the goals for Stoke.
The ex-Eagles forward started both Stoke's games in Singapore last week as he continues his return from eight months on the sidelines with ligament damage.
He made his playing return as a substitute at the back end of last term, but admits getting back on the pitch and getting back to top form are not always the same thing.
He explained: "I forced it a little to make it in time to play a little at the end of last season because I felt I needed to. It would have been very sad to go into the summer having missed the whole season after my injury.
"The summer has made me even better because the rest has done
me good. You can get back but still need a few months to be at your best.
"These injuries take longer than you think. You can be playing, but you are not 100 per cent yet. However, I feel better and better.
"Our medical department make sure I'm right every day and I'm
doing the right preparation. I do everything right – and I do extra."
Odemwingie has been buoyed by the arrival of new faces on his
return to training, including £5.75m forward Joselu, rather than seeing them as rivals for a starting spot.
He added: "There is a lot of competition, but that only excites me. It means we are going to do well as a group.
"In my situation there is a lot of expectation about coming back from injury. That's probably not what I really need, but I am going to give my best.
"Knowing there are people who will do well means we are going
to have a good season, secure our Premier League status again... and then go for the extras.
"We will all get game time. It's rare for one player to be in top form all season. Some were good at the end, some were good at the beginning but everyone has his time to stake his claim and everyone has a part to play.
"We had a successful season last year and it's still our success. I didn't play a lot of games, but it's our group and I'm part of it. I was happy that the group won. That's the same with Bojan too. All my head's been in the new season.
"There will be spells when I will be scoring goals and there will be spells when it will be someone else. It is all that joined together that will hopefully make us a top 10 team again."
Odemwingie scored five times in his first half-season with Stoke and then became the first Potter to find the net at World Cup finals. That goal, past Asmir Begovic for Nigeria, was his last strike before injury and he can't wait to taste the feeling again.
He said: "I've been desperate to score even in pre-season. Maybe I have been in too much of a hurry. They are only friendlies, but it's still important for me to score.
"I'm happy I signed a new contract so I can play because I didn't want to end my Stoke days without a goal after that injury. It's going to come one way or the other. I'm sure of it."
