West Brom’s under-fire striker Brown Ideye says people criticising his game are spot on — but vows to bounce back.
The 26-year-old striker became the Baggies’ record signing when they paid £10m to bring him to The Hawthorns from Dynamo Kiev last summer, but after scoring twice in 14 Premier League appearances he looked set to be offloaded in January.
The Baggies were reported to be willing to cut their losses and sell Ideye to Qatar club Al Gharafa but their failure to secure a replacement meant he stayed at the Premier League club, Sky Sports reports.
The Nigeria international said, “I never thought I was going to leave West Brom for a club in Qatar. I haven’t really started playing football for West Brom so I think I should have more time.
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“I’ve been having a lot of support from the fans and people at the club so I don’t think now should be the time for me to leave. People can say what they want; they have the right to do that. Since I came here I haven’t been that Brown Ideye that people know and I feel bad about it.
“This is England and if you’re not giving your best, people talk. I think they are right in everything they say. I should be on top of my game but it’s not possible for you to be on top of your game when you’re sitting on the bench.
“I just have to keep pushing on, even if I only have 10 or 15 minutes in the game. I have to prove myself.”
Ideye was on the bench again when West Brom travelled to Burnley on Sunday but he was given 45 minutes and headed in the equaliser that earned Tony Pulis’ side a 2-2 draw.
“I’ve been waiting for this moment,” he added. “As a striker I like to score goals in every game and I don’t see why it’s not possible for me to start, from now, doing what people believed from me.
“I came here to score goals and I hope this will just be the start. It was an important goal and I think that said it all.”
It was a performance that received the blessing of his manager Pulis who said, “He looked dangerous when he came on and sharp, and that’s what we need.”
