Burnley
Blackburn Rovers
Coventry City
Derby County
Leeds United
Luton Town
Middlesbrough
Millwall
Norwich City
Portsmouth
Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United
QPR
Sheffield United have completed the loan deal of Chiedozie Ogbene from Ipswich Town on transfer deadline day.
The Republic of Ireland international has agreed to join the Blades on loan, and he will be a versatile option for Ruben Selles to use in his team.
Ogbene is looking to kickstart his career once again at Sheffield United after he suffered a tough 10 months with Ipswich Town after suffering a season-ending injury at the Tractor Boys in their Premier League campaign.
The Irish winger has now opened up ahead of the move to Sheffield United, as he hopes to be the catalyst to turn the Blades’ season around.
Chiedozie Ogbene opens up on his injury at Ipswich Town
Chiedozie Ogbene could not have had a worse start to life at Ipswich Town, after he suffered a season-ending injury just five games into his career at Portman Road.
The period through an injury like this is never easy for any footballer, and Ogbene found it tough too; however, he owes a lot to the support of the club and the advice they gave him to immerse himself in the community.
Speaking to the Irish Independent, he said: “I’ll be honest, the injury was very difficult because I had just signed and I was dying to impress.
“That was actually overwhelming for the first few weeks, not the actual injury, but the fact that I wasn’t able to show what I was capable of, missing opportunities in the Premier League and with Ireland too.
“So I wanted to offer myself in another way. I just said, ‘I want to immerse myself in the community’. When you’re injured, it’s a perfect opportunity to get to know the club a bit more, the philosophy and the culture. It was probably the best decision I ever made. It taught me how much the club means to the community, and that pushed me in my rehab too.”
Chiedozie Ogbene looking to make up for lost time
The time on the sidelines has allowed the Republic of Ireland international to reflect on his career and his ambitions moving forward for both Ipswich and his country.
He said: “In my mind, I’m not going into camp to play; I’m going in as a triallist.
“I’m going to give it everything. Getting this opportunity was all I asked for. I’m very, very lucky to get the call-up because from where I have been in the last nine months to now, it could have been easy [for Hallgrimsson] to avoid me and go with somebody else.
“We haven’t gone to a major tournament in a long time. We have Portugal, Hungary and Armenia, but I think with the new philosophy now, we have to go in confident. Right now, it’s just about results; it doesn’t matter how we play. It’s just about getting the results to get the country to the World Cup.”