Sheffield Wednesday star Dominic Iorfa reveals who persuaded him to become a defender

Growing up at his local club Southend United, Iorfa tried to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a striker.

But Iorfa, the son of a former Nigerian international footballer of the same name, says a heart-to-heart conversation with his father convinced him to change position.

"We were in a training session doing attack versus defence and we were taking it in turns and I was better at defending than I was at attacking," said Iorfa, recruited for a fee believed to be in the region of £200,000 from Wolverhampton Wanderers on January deadline day.

"So my dad basically told me he didn’t think I was good enough to be a striker but thought I was good enough to be a defender.

"I hated it at first but here I am today playing as a defender at a massive club.

Sheffield Wednesday primed to dent in-form Norwich City’s title push

"He’s happy and my mum’s happy as well that they have a son who plays football.

"When I was at Ipswich and Wolves they came to all of my games."

Although Iorfa has represented England at Under-21 level, he is also eligible to play for Nigeria.

He said: "My dad played for Nigeria so for the family it would be good to play for Nigeria.

"It’s something I thought quite a lot about a few years ago but at the moment I’m just focusing on my football. Whatever happens happens. That’s the way I see it."

Iorfa has produced a string of eye-catching performances since moving to Hillsborough, hitting three goals in 11 appearances.

The 23-year-old has sat-out their last two matches due to a thigh injury he sustained in the home defeat to Aston Villa.

The Star understands Iorfa has taken part in training this week and could be involved in Friday's televised showdown with Norwich City.