ROY Hodgson has told Peter Odemwingie to chill in a pep-talk designed to get the mis-firing striker to thrill again.

The Nigerian international has bagged just one goal this season and, after shaking off a pre-season ankle injury, he still looks far from the player who bagged 15 goals in his debut season in the Premier League.

“The manager has told me to relax,” said the 29-year-old.

“He says that I think too much, that I should relax and play the game I know how to.”

Odemwingie has good memories of Saturday’s opponents Sunderland having scored against them on his Albion debut at The Hawthorns last August and also at the Stadium of Light in a thrilling win in April.

And he believes his sharpness is returning after a stop-start summer.

“It is going to be better,” he said. “It was coming more against Fulham and hopefully there’ll be no more setbacks. At Everton in the Carling Cup I got two good kicks on the ankle, and against Fulham another on the achilles.

“English football is not easy. It is sometimes tough.”

Odwemwingie admits he is now a marked man after last season’s exploits.

“They (clubs) pay more attention,” he said. “They will not be under-rating my abilities after last season.

“Maybe from the outside people can see more but everytime I am with the ball there are people coming to help.”

Nevertheless, Odemwingie insists he is determined to make sure last season was no ‘one-off’.