New Town signing Chiedozie Ogbene revealed a ‘burning desire’ from within has seen him go from playing Gaelic football as a teenager to starting his maiden Premier League campaign with the Hatters.
Luton’s first arrival of the summer had represented Nemo Rangers in his formative years once he had moved with his family from Nigeria to Ireland as a youngster in 2005, then switching codes to feature for League of Ireland sides Cork City and Limerick.
That alerted Brentford, then in the Championship, as he joined the Bees in January 2018 aged just 20, but struggling to get to grips with the new level, headed to League Two Exeter on loan for the start of the following season.
It was with the Grecians where Ogbene began to become accustomed to his new surroundings, playing 18 times in the fourth tier of English football that term, before returning to Griffin Park.
He didn’t stay long in West London though, leaving for Rotherham United in August 2019, as speaking to the Hatters’ official website about his journey thus far, the attacker said: “That was the national sport for Ireland, so I’ve been playing Gaelic football all my life really, but I left the game when I was 17 and it (move to Brentford) was difficult at the start.
“I was homesick and I didn’t really have anyone here.
The players were very supportive, I met John Egan, he was at Brentford at the time and he helped me ease in
Maybe the pace of the Championship at that time was very fast for me and I just had to learn my trade.
“I went to Exeter for six months where I experienced English football and what it was about.
“Going to League Two was a massive help for me.
“It’s a very difficult level and I understood the importance when I came back to the Championship in terms of your decision making and working hard for the team.
“Without disrespecting the League of Ireland, I think my attributes were very efficient there as they weren’t any players like me, so I would say I stood out of the pack.
When I came to England there were a lot of players like me, so I had to mould my game differently.
“I had to learn all the tricks and had to be more wise with my decision making, that was something, as when I came over I was still young.
“In the League Of Ireland I can do more things off the cuff, in the Championship it’s more calculated, the teams are more structurally set up, so you need to do things differently.”
While at the Millers that Ogbene’s steely determination began to shine through as he was able to showcase his true talents, winning promotion to the Championship twice, and also scoring at Wembley in United’s 2022 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory.
An international call-up with the Republic of Ireland followed too, as he began to get noticed on a wider scale, continuing: “I came back to Brentford and it just didn’t happen for me.
“I had that burning desire to improve and to learn the game though, so I made the decision to go to Rotherham.
“I was given the opportunity by Paul Warne and his staff, it was the best decision of my life.
“That was the place where I grew and I developed massively.
“It was difficult at first moving to Rotherham because I hadn’t played many games at Brentford, so I needed someone who believed in me and take that leap of faith.
“Paul and his coaching staff did that for me, and they helped me develop my game massively.
“I had to learn a lot of things as a forward player.
“When you’re growing up it’s just take people on, but now I had to calculate when to take people on because with my pace and power.
“I realised people were doubling-up on me so I had to calculate and make better decisions on the pitch.”
With that in mind, Ogbene went on to play well over 100 games for the Millers, but it was the last two seasons that really saw him take centre stage.
First, he managed 53 outings with four goals as United reached the Championship, then helped them stay there by finding the net nine times in 42 matches last term.
It saw him get his chance in the top flight with Luton, as thanking his former side, he added: “It was massive for me.
First, he managed 53 outings with four goals as United reached the Championship, then helped them stay there by finding the net nine times in 42 matches last term.
It saw him get his chance in the top flight with Luton, as thanking his former side, he added: “It was massive for me.
“They really, really developed me and a lot of things have happened since then, including making my debut for Ireland, so it was the stability and gave me that opportunity to showcase my ability.
“I spent four seasons there, achieved some great things, but this opportunity to feature in the Premier League, I couldn’t reject.”
“They really, really developed me and a lot of things have happened since then, including making my debut for Ireland, so it was the stability and gave me that opportunity to showcase my ability.
“I spent four seasons there, achieved some great things, but this opportunity to feature in the Premier League, I couldn’t reject.”
