Within the lead-up to the tip of final summer time’s switch window, Dan Udoh acquired a name from a quantity he didn’t recognise.
He missed it initially, however saved the quantity to WhatsApp. The profile image would certainly shed some mild, would not it?
No such luck.
Then the telephone rang once more. This time he answered. “Hi Dan, it’s Paul,” mentioned the caller.
“I used to be like, ‘Paul who?’ Udoh recounts, with a chuckle, as he speaks to Sky Sports activities.
“It turned out to be Paul Scholes! I used to be starstruck as a result of I have been a Man United fan since I used to be younger.
“To have one of your heroes that you looked up to and watched growing up call you to tell you to come to his team… that was enough for me!”
On September 1, Deadline Day, Udoh signed a two-year contract to hitch Salford from Wycombe for an undisclosed charge.
It was touch-and-go at time, because the Chairboys needed to signal a alternative earlier than they sanctioned his departure. The drama of all of it was captured within the beneath episode of ‘That is Salford‘, posted on the membership’s official YouTube channel.
Udoh mentioned then, and nonetheless says now, the ambition of the membership was one of many driving elements in his pursuit of the transfer. However equally as necessary was the possibility to maneuver again north after a season in Buckinghamshire.
“I’m from north west London originally, but football takes you everywhere,” he says.
“I lived in Telford played for Telford and Shrewsbury for six, seven years, got married around there, had my little boy around there and then bought our house around there.
“My missus’ household are from Widnes, which is 20 minutes, half-an-hour from Warrington the place we’re dwelling and that is half-an-hour from Salford, so it simply made sense.
“I’m a big believer in God and I always think God plans everything how he wants it to go. You just have to fall into the line.”
Udoh joined Salford from Wycombe final summer time
It’s usually mentioned in soccer that if a participant is blissful and settled off the pitch, half the battle is gained – and that transfer north does appear to have labored wonders for Udoh.
Not that he had a nasty season final season by any stretch. In 41 video games, he scored 9 objectives and offered three assists as Wycombe reached the Sky Guess League One play-offs.
However this season – which began with six league video games at Wycombe – in 32 appearances in all competitions, the 29-year-old has eight objectives and 9 assists.
“I’d like the goals figure to be higher!” he says.
“Assists had never really been a thing in my head, but it’s always good to chip in because goal contribution is massive nowadays, isn’t it? Being involved in goals is my main aim and that wins games at the end of the day.
“If I am getting marked out of the sport or not scoring on that day, it is having the ability to put it on the plate for different teammates. I am not a egocentric participant. If somebody’s in a greater place than me and I feel it will profit the group, I will at all times go the ball to them and I count on the identical from them to me.”
Dan Udoh has seven objectives and 7 assists for Salford in 23 Sky Guess League Two appearances to this point
Working with Karl Robinson has been helpful.
“I’ve always liked when the manager is brutally honest with me,” Udoh provides.
“He wears his heart on his sleeve and he tells me what I need to hear at the right times.
“I’ve had it earlier than the place you do not fairly get the data from the supervisor and you do not know the place you stand, however with him, I do know the place I stand most video games, most weeks, which helps me have readability of what he needs me to do.
“He has a structure of how he wants us to defend and how he wants us to attack. But then at the top end of the pitch, he leaves the strikers with a lot of freedom to go and smell out goals.
“As an older, extra skilled participant – I did not suppose I would ever say that! – he lets me use issues I’ve had from the previous to deliver into now and it is bearing fruit.”
The Class of 92 influence is strong, too.
“Scholesy is just about right here on a regular basis and generally he joins in with us in coaching.
“The other week, he told us he couldn’t properly go in because he wasn’t wearing boots. But when he was playing, he didn’t lose the ball once, so didn’t actually even need to go in! The standard of player he still is now is crazy.
“We are able to go to him and ask what his ideas have been in regards to the recreation as a result of he is there more often than not.
“The defenders had a meeting with Gary Neville a few weeks back and the team have gone to have more clean sheets as of recent. Things like that help boost the team.”
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Highlights of the Sky Guess League Two match between Accrington Stanely and Salford Metropolis.
Udoh performed 20 instances for Crewe throughout 2015/16 and 2016/17, but it surely was not till 2019/20 that he was taking part in common soccer within the Sky Guess EFL.
Now, he solely wants two extra objectives to achieve 50 within the prime 4 divisions.
He nonetheless has to pinch himself sometimes.
“I would have never thought I’d be a professional footballer playing in the EFL. That was always the goal and the aim, but at times, that looked quite far away.
Udoh made his identify within the EFL throughout 5 seasons at Shrewsbury
“I worked as a fish and chip delivery driver, I worked in a chicken factory, I was a carer… I worked so many jobs.
“However I come from a hard-working household so, from a younger age, our dad and mom used to at all times inform us, no matter you do – whether or not you are a bin man, a cleaner, no matter – simply do it to the perfect of your capacity. That is what I attempted to take to my soccer video games and life typically.
“Being able to say I’ve played almost 250 league games is a testament to all the people that have believed in me and given me an opportunity, the managers I’ve worked with in the past and just always told me to believe in myself and push myself as much as I can.
“I’ve bought a mentality of by no means say by no means and simply maintain working onerous – you by no means know what is going on to come back of it.”
It will come as no surprise he wants to “go for gold” and assist Salford to win the League Two title.
“A good season for me is promotion. I came here to win and that’s what I want to do.” Udoh provides.
“And even if – God forbid, touch wood – I don’t score from now to the end of the season and we get promoted, I’ll be really happy with that.”
Watch Salford vs Newport in Sky Guess League Two stay on Sky Sports activities+ on Tuesday February 17; kick-off 7.45pm
