Nigerian-born youngster, Nathanael Ogbeta says he is banking on the experience he has gained playing for England at youth national team level to help him to excel at English League One club, Shrewsbury Town, where he aims to hit the ground running with his professional debut this weekend.
Megasportsarena.com learnt how Ogbeta had stated that he is highly determined to make his mark with The Shrews from the word go, such that he is already angling for a star-performance during Saturday’s league fixture against Peterborough United.
The League One clash comes after Ogbeta ended a nine-year stay at English Premier League current table-toppers, Manchester City, and the youngster finally hopes to prove his maturity after joining Shrewsbury on a permanent deal.
Ogbeta opted to leave The Citizens due to a lack of first-team opportunities at Etihad Stadium and he eventually put pen to paper on an 18-month contract at Montgomery Waters Meadow, in a deal that is expected to keep him with Shrewsbury until end of the 2021/22 season.
The 19-year-old left-back, who can also be deployed as a center back, will also hope to replicate his leadership qualities that saw him captain Man City’s youth teams on a number of occasions, which is another morale-boosting point for the England youth international, who started against Israel at the 2018 European U17 Championship.
Shrewsbury formally announced their signing of the 19-yar-old left-back on an 18-month deal, thereby opening a new chapter for the teenage defender, who had been with Man City since the age of 10.
Although the England under-20 international is yet to gt his senior debut for The Citizens, but has made 12 EFL Trophy appearances for the Eihad club’s under-23 side and is now on course for his first professional match in England’s third-tier division.
Ogbeta joins Town as a highly rated ball-playing centre-back, described as confident and composed; with great expectations already on him, after he quickly linked up with the main squad in training and is available for their Sky Bet League One clash with Peterborough.
He becomes The Shrews fourth January signing, following David Davis, Harry Chapman and Matthew Pennington, following which Ogbeta said he is pleased with the deal and is hoping to have a positive impact on the Salop squad.
Ogbeta declared: “I am very happy to be here. I feel like this is a club with ambition and I want to help the team. I have played against Shrewsbury twice, so I am looking forward to playing with some of the players here.
“My time at City has been fantastic but Shrewsbury were willing to give me an opportunity to play – that’s what I need. I’m 19 now and I have been playing academy football for a long time. Now is the time for me to show what I can do on the big stage.
“I really believe that senior football is going to help me develop. Playing with the England set-up has been fantastic. It’s a challenge because there are so many different personalities and you really have to find yourself.
“As you play with England more, your personality comes out and you begin to find yourself more. You have to be yourself and that’s how you get the best out of your abilities. Being with them is amazing because you can see the belief and confidence some of the boys have.
“It’s contagious and you start to believe in yourself more. The coaches are fantastic and they hammer home playing with freedom – that had a real impact on me. I used to be very enclosed and would always take the safe option. Now I take more chances because I have been given that licence.”
