Nnamdi Oduamadi: Still Struggling for Shirt at Milan

Nnamdi Oduamadi was spotted by scouts of AC Milan in 2008 while playing for the Pepsi Football Academy and was shipped to the Italian giants’ youth team after which he was sent on loan to another club. But after an impressive performance at the 2013 Confederations Cup, he was recalled by the then Rossoneri coach, Massimiliano Allegri, but he failed to pin down a regular shirt at the San Siro club. Oduamadi went on another loan. However, last year, he returned to the Milanese side. With the January transfer window now open, another loan spell may be inevitable for the Nigerian international. Kunle Adewale reports

Though, Nnamdi Oduamadi is keen on staying at AC Milan to prove himself, but that could just be a dream if reports emanating from the camp of the Rossoneri is anything to go by. The 25-year-old could be on his way out of AC Milan on loan again in the January window.

He has been linked with a move to his former team, Crotone, that are currently 19th in the Serie A log this season.

“There are offers for me and my former team is one of them; my representative has said so. I’m happy I’m back and I just want to prove myself here,” Oduamadi said.

Oduamadi had an impressive season on loan at Finnish side, HJK Helsinki, where he scored 10 goals in all competitions. He however said he was open to a move but his future will be decided by AC Milan.

In November, Oduamadi was ordered to rejoin his parent club,

AC Milan. Coach Vincenzo Montella is reportedly impressed with the feat of the Nigerian international while on a season loan at HJK Helsinki and he is keen to see if he could play a part in his side’s campaign in the second stanza of the Serie A in January.

“My holidays have been cut short now. I will be resuming at AC Milan and hopefully, get a chance to show what I can do,” Oduamadi said.

This was not the first time that the Nigerian international was being recalled by the Italian giants.

The striker’s display for Nigeria at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he scored a hat-trick against Tahiti saw Milan CEO, Adriano Galliani, contacting the then Milan coach, Massimiliano Allegri, to recall him for pre-season training.

“I am very happy. I really worked hard and getting three goals in the Confederations Cup is massive for me. I want to watch my first goal against Tahiti on the television. It was a goal worthy of my idol Ronaldo. Yes, Ronaldo, il Fenomeno. I got to know him when he played at Milan, during a friendly with the Primavera,” he had said then.

“At the end of the match, I asked the coach, Carlo Ancelotti if I could shake hands with the champion I’d been dreaming of. The coach took me to the dressing room and Ronaldo spoke to me for a few minutes and a few days later he gave me a Selecao jersey with his autograph.

“Galliani said that I’ll train with Milan? I’m ready to pay for food and accommodation if I can work with Allegri,” he said then.

The youngster was so elated with the call-up that he phoned his parents, saying “Mom, I’m going to the pre-season with Milan.”

But it all turned out to be a mirage as Oduamadi was sent on another loan afterwards.

Former Super Eagles midfielder, Friday Ekpo is of the opinion that Oduamadi’s dream of playing for AC Milan is not over yet as he still has age on his side.

“He can still achieve his dream of playing for AC Milan. All he needs do is to continue to work hard and be focused. He is just 25 and still has many years ahead. But most importantly, he should fight his way back into the national team, especially now that the country is involved in the World Cup qualifier matches and the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers will kick off in the next four months,” Ekpo opined.

Continuing he said, “Oduamadi can always draw inspiration from the case of Victor Moses. We all know how many times Chelsea sent him on loan, but he kept on working hard and he was focused and when a coach (Antonio Conte) that recognizes his potential was employed, he gave him a chance and Moses grabbed it. This is one the reasons why Chelsea is leading the Premier League table,” the former international noted.

“The fact that Milan kept recalling him after loans shows he’s doing fine and I’m sure his time would come very soon. However, Milan is not the only big club in Europe. He could still make his name in other big clubs if the Italian club does not consider him suitable to their style,” Ekpo said.

Born Nnamdi Oduamadi Chidiebere on October 17, 1990 in Lagos, he started playing football at the local Pepsi Football Academy at the age of seven. He left Nigeria in 2008 to join AC Milan, although he was officially signed only in January 2009 due to bureaucratic issues. Oduamadi spent two seasons in the club’s youth system and was a member of the U-20 side that won the Coppa Italia Primavera in 2010, 25 years after the team’s last success in the competition.

At the beginning of 2010/11 season, Milan sold half of the rights to Oduamadi to Genoa in co-ownership for €3.5 million. The Nigerian, though, stayed at Milan on loan, being included in the first team squad. He made his official debut for the club in a league game against Catania in September 2010, coming off the bench in the last minutes.

 However, that remained his only appearance of the season and he still played games for the under-20 team at times through the season as an over-age player.

At the beginning the 2011–12 season, he was sent on loan to Torino where he ended the season with 11 appearances and three goals. For the 2012–13 season, Oduamadi joined Varese on another loan deal and at the start of the 2013–14 campaign, Oduamadi moved to Brescia, once again on loan.

On 31 January 2014, Oduamadi rejoined Varese, making his second loan and on 22 March 2016, Oduamadi moved to Finnish club HJK Helsiki, on a loan deal set to expire on 31 December.

At international level, Oduamadi was first capped by Nigeria U-17, when he was at the Pepsi Football Academy and went on to be called up for the U-20 for the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup, but eventually was cut from the final squad due to a hamstring injury.

He however made his full international debut for Nigeria against Kenya in 2011. Two years later, he made his second appearance against Kenya in a 2014 World Cup qualifying scoring the equalising goal in the 94th minute.

Oduamadi was selected for the Super Eagles squad to the 2013 Confederations Cup in which he scored three goals against Tahiti in their opening match.