Peter Odemwingie, the former Nigerian international footballer, has set his sights on a new career as a top-level golf player.

Last month, Odemwingie graduated as a PGA Member, marking a significant step in his transition from football to golf.

The 42 year-old joined Aston Wood Golf Club in Staffordshire, where he achieved a handicap that qualified him to undertake the Playing Ability Test.

Odemwingie, who scored over 30 Premier League goals for West Bromwich Albion and also played for Cardiff City and Stoke City, represented Nigeria in two World Cups and won an Olympic medal in 2008.

He expressed his excitement about becoming a fully-fledged PGA Professional.

“My eyes are on the senior tour in the future because I definitely know there is a player in me,” Odemwingie stated. “This game offers us longevity, and if you stay healthy, you can play for a long time, as someone like Gary Player shows. Hopefully, when I’m old with a lot of grey hairs, I’ll be able to tell a pretty cool story about my time playing golf.”

Odemwingie also hopes to use his new status to promote golf, particularly in Nigeria and Russia, countries known for their football talent but with untapped potential in golf.

“These are very sporting nations, but they don’t have golfers representing them on the world stage, which is a shame,” he said.

“I’ve had to put my studies first these past few years, but now that I have graduated, I am in a position to do something. I hope to get backing to organize some tournaments in Nigeria with decent prize money.”