Odense striker, Peter Utaka has asked Super Eagles coach Samson Siasia for more playing time so he could reproduce club form for country.
The highly-rated Utaka told MTNFootball.com that his goals for the Eagles have suddenly dried up, while he continues to score freely at his Danish club because he has not enjoyed much playing time with the national team.
?
“You will see that I have not been given much playing time in the team of recent. The last time I played against Argentina I think I played like five, 10 minutes,” he revealed
“There is a big difference starting a game or having like 45 minutes to play than coming in as a substitute for the last five or 10 minutes. So, there is no way you can just settle down in time to score goals in such limited time.
“It’s not that easy at this level to get goals in a few minutes of play. Those other players who have enough time to play have warmed up and could get the goals than me who has just been introduced for the last 10 minutes.
?
He added: “But I can’t blame the coach (Samson Siasia) because he has at his disposal a lot of strikers for any match. I just need to wait for the time I will get enough playing time to start scoring again.
“I am even very grateful to him for picking me for the national team. But I am pleading for more playing time and I won’t disappoint him.”
The prolific Utaka, who has scored four goals since he made his international debut in March 2010, returned to scoring ways with his club at the weekend.
?
“I came home from the national team after our matches in Madagascar and Bangladesh and played for Odense on Saturday just a day on returning to the club. I came in the second half to play 45 minutes and we won 3-1.
“I came home on Friday and on Saturday we had to play and the coach told me that since I had a hectic and stressful journey I have to start on the bench. We were a goal down when I entered. I then created the first goal, scored the second and also had a hand in the third goal.
“The more time you have to play gives you the more chances to score goals.”
?