Confident smiles and Cardiff City admissions - Ike Ugbo to revel in Sheffield Wednesday striker pressure

"No," he grins. "I'm used to it now."

The question was whether he felt pressure stepping in as Sheffield Wednesday's lone striker signing in a January window that saw an ultimately failed venture to go after further attacking reinforcements after his signing in week two.

His is a career that has seen him play in one of the most impressive academies in the world at Chelsea, that has seen him play in three different countries and that has taken in spells living in five different countries - six if you count his time with Cardiff City earlier this season. He spent formative years as a child in Canada, he's scored against Messi's PSG. He's been to a World Cup in Qatar and he's played for Barnsley, MK Dons and Scunthorpe United. At the age of just 25, the life and career of Ugbo has taken in all sorts.

"It's helped me a lot and from a young age I was moving around," Ugbo said. "I've seen different cultures and lifestyles and now I'm 25 I feel like I've matured nicely, I feel like I've seen what I like and what I don't like. It's been a journey. In football it's given me an advantage. I've had to adapt quite quickly in the places I've played and being a striker you're demanded goals immediately. It's not always easy but I have worked hard to get where I am. I've learned a lot.

"I feel like I'm settling in well. The three games have maybe not gone our way exactly, but the progression that I am making in the team is going in the right direction. When I spoke to the coach before he spoke about the qualities I have and what I can bring to the team and in those games I've showed a glimpse of the performances I can give, but I've got a lot more to give to the team."

Ugbo's switch to Wednesday was a relatively complicated one to carry out. Identified early doors as a player who could lead the line in a Danny Röhl system of front-foot pressing and dynamic movement, the Canada international was on loan at Cardiff City in the first half of the window, his minutes dwindling a touch as the weeks wore on in a side perhaps a little unsuited to Ugbo in their approach.

Discussions were held by the 25-year-old and his representatives with a number of clubs interested in taking him on should his loan with the Bluebirds be successful torn up by parent club Troyes - a French side relegated from Ligue 1 last season. But it was Wednesday and Röhl that eventually tickled the fancy after the German laid on a presentation around how he and his coaching staff could serve to improve Ugbo the individual and how he would fit into their plans. The deal was fiddly in nature given the presence of stakeholding clubs spread across three countries, but it was done and on January 11 he became an Owls player.

"The style of play suits me more than when I was at Cardiff," Ugbo proclaimed, wishing no ill-will on his former club. "What the gaffer is trying to do with the team is something that is appealing to me and after I spoke to him I definitely wanted to be a part of what is happening here.

"When I was at Cardiff, towards the end I wasn't playing so much, so my agent spoke to me and brought me some options. I spoke to managers and spoke to Danny and from then I really liked the project and the style of play he has put in here. My decision was made to go and sign for Sheffield Wednesday for the rest of the season. I was really focused on staying in England and had a few options.

"He (Röhl) was so keen on the press from the front and the work rate that the forward players have to put in. He showed me a lot of clips of how the team were trying to press, how it can work when it comes off well and it showed me what he wanted."

But for the post, the crossbar and a block or two, Ugbo could well have opened his account for the Owls already and he's done so without a 'clear chance' - his xG across two incomplete starts and a substitute appearance tallies 0.69. In a very limited data pool, he wins more fouls per 90 minutes than any other Wednesday player, takes on as many shots per game as anyone other than Josh Windass and ranks highly on dribbles completed.

He knows, though, that he'll be judged ultimately on his goals and assists column, which is yet to be scratched. And there comes that confident smile.

"It's always the case if you're playing as a striker, that you've got to find goals and I don't have an issue with that," he said. "If you look at my numbers, my goals to chances data is quite high, so the more chances I get the more goals I'll score.

"I have an instinct for goals. Sometimes it is difficult with the style of play and stuff, but since I've been here I've had a couple of chances and I've just missed, just hit the post or the crossbar. I feel confident that they'll start to go in. Once that first one goes in..

"I'm best as a striker, down the middle. I've played either side but I think there's more of a free role to drop in or go wide in the build-up deeper in the pitch. I've enjoyed it here because I'm not just stuck to a position down the middle all the time."