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Harambee Stars midfielder Richard Odada has returned to Serbian football by signing for top flight side OFK Beograd on loan until the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
Dundee United coach Jim Goodwin has defended the club's decision to send Kenyan international Richard Odada on loan to Serbian Super Liga side OFK Beograd until the end of the season.
Odada, who struggled for consistent playing time at Dundee United, was loaned out to the Belgrade-based outfit in search of more game time.
The move marks a return to familiar territory for the 24-year-old midfielder, who has had previous stints in Serbia with Red Star Belgrade, Graficar, and Metalac.
Having originally moved to Serbia from AFC Leopards as a teenager, Odada never quite established himself at Red Star and was loaned to lower-tier clubs to gain experience.
In August 2022, he made a switch to Major League Soccer (MLS) side Philadelphia Union. A year later, he was loaned to Danish side Aalborg, where he made 22 appearances and scored four goals, a spell that caught the attention of Dundee United.
However, since joining the Scottish side on a permanent transfer last year, Odada has struggled for playing time, managing only 14 appearances, mostly from the bench, and clocking just 365 minutes in total.
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Recognising his limited role at Tannadice Park, the club and player opted for a fresh start in Serbia.
Goodwin addressed the decision to loan out Odada, insisting that the club still values his potential and that the temporary move could reignite his career.
"He's completely understanding of it. We're not drawing a line under him. We firmly believe that he's a very talented player. We've spent a lot of time in terms of that recruitment process and bringing him over," Goodwin told the Daily Record.
"We've put a significant investment in the player. I think if you look at him physically, he's everything you would want from a number 6 midfielder.
“Just maybe going away, playing regularly, coming back fresh and almost like a new signing again will just give him that impetus to maybe go and kick on again."
The Dundee United boss had previously acknowledged Odada’s struggles in adapting to the faster pace of Scottish football. Speaking in November, he explained:
"The whole thing with us since Richard has come to the club is to try and speed his game up a little bit. He won’t get the time and space on the ball in Scotland like he would have been used to at other clubs."
With OFK Beograd currently sitting fifth in the Serbian Super Liga, Odada will be looking to make an immediate impact and help the club push for European qualification. This marks his fourth Serbian club, and the midfielder will be eager to prove himself as he aims to reignite his career ahead of a potential return to Dundee United.
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