Injury stopped Wycombe striker Ugwu becoming a Cobbler

Gozie Ugwu is set to lead the Wycombe Wanderers frontline at Adams Park on Saturday - but he could just has easily have been lining up for the Cobblers.
Gozie Ugwu in action for the Cobblers in their pre-season friendly at Sileby Rangers on July 5Gozie Ugwu in action for the Cobblers in their pre-season friendly at Sileby Rangers on July 5
Gozie Ugwu in action for the Cobblers in their pre-season friendly at Sileby Rangers on July 5

Cobblers manager Chris Wilder has revealed that, but for injury, Ugwu would have been offered a Town contract after impressing during a summer trial at Sixfields.

The 22-year-old worked with Northampton in pre-season, and travelled with the squad to their training camp in Brighton in July.

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He injured himself in the act of scoring the first Cobblers goal in the 5-2 friendly win at Worthing on July 7, and the injury proved serious enough to end his trial stint with the Cobblers.

Following the sale of Ivan Toney, Town instead signed Dominic Calvert-Lewin on loan from Sheffield United and Ugwu was forced to look elsewhere to resume his career when he regained fitness.

He went on to win himself a contract at Wycombe Wanderers, but Wilder admits he is a fan of the former Yeovil and Dunfermline man.

“I would say that if Gozie hadn’t suffered the injury then we would have signed him,” said Wilder.

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“I think he would have been wearing a Northampton shirt, because I think he enjoyed coming to us in pre-season.

“We looked at him, but he was injured and we needed somebody in that period, and we took Dom (Calvert-Lewin).

“But the fact he was injured was the only reason (he wasn’t signed).

“I do believe we would have took Sam (Hoskins), Gozie and Rod (McDonald) after their trial periods.

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“We offered two out of the three trialists something, and the only reason we didn’t take all three is we needed Gozie to be fit, but unfortunately he suffered an injury.

“He is a good kid, I like him, and he will do well for Wycombe.

“Gozie is a powerful boy and he is trying to get his career going again.

“Gareth Ainsworth has done really well with players like that, as we have had to do, because his budget isn’t a great one.

“He dusts them down and gets them going again, and that is a quality the manager has, and he will work hard to make Gozie a better player, and I am sure he will do.”