Following his brace in Stoke's 3-1 win over West Ham United on Saturday, the Potters' Nigerian striker Peter Odemwingie said on Monday that he was happy at Stoke and thanked coach Mark Hughes for giving him a chance.

The 32-year-old joined Stoke in January after a frustrated spell at Cardiff that saw him fall out of favour with coach Gunnar Solskjear.

However, he got on right away with Stoke's coach Hughes, who introduced Odemwingie against Sunderland just 24 hours after signing him.

"That's been key," Odemwingie was quoted as saying by Sky Sports on Monday

"When a player lacks confidence, it's a huge difference. When I came, they gave me the chance to play 90 minutes.

"When you have the backing, the players believe in you, it makes a whole difference.

"When you're not playing, you're thinking, 'They might sub me now', and now I feel relaxed.

"Things are going well for me. You're still nervous sometimes because it's a new club and I want to do a lot because they gave me that opportunity in January.

"But with time and goals, I will feel more at home and just play my football."

Odemwingie has produced a series of strong displays since his arrival, scoring three goals so far. 

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