Odion Ighalo who recently joined Manchester United in the last transfer window reveals some facts about his transfer. He is the first Nigerian to play for the England giant, opened up in an interview of how his mom broke down in tears after she received the news of his transfer. He said his mom who know his long dream team is Manchester United could not hold the tears when she discovered her son’s dream has come true.
The 30-year-old ex-Nigerian forward joined Manchester United from Shanghai Shenhua for loan until the end of the season. Odion Ighalo has played in the English premier league before and he has always wish to for the Red Devils in England. He retired last year after the 2019 AFCON tournament which he won the golden boot for highest goal scorer of the tournament.
The former Watford attacker said he was in his room in Shanghai at about 11pm when his phone rang. It was his agent, he said United wants a deal with you. He rushed to his directors and said: “my agent wants to speak to you. United are coming for me, you have to make this happen.'”
Odion Ighalo, Born United Fan
Ighalo, his agent and the clubs spent the night negotiating and signing paperwork to get it through before the deadline at 7am Shanghai time. United was not the only club coming for him that day but he was particular about United.
“I told my agent ‘this is what I want. I want to come here’,” his agent told him he will get a pay cut if he is going to United in his words he said: “I said: ‘I don’t care. Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don’t care how much is the pay cut, I know that, make it happen.'”
Ighalo says he has been a United fan since he was a child and is pleased to be able to make his dream of playing for the Old Trafford club a reality. “I called my mum and she was happy, crying,” he said.
“I know many people used to say when they join a team, they say that they dream of playing for that team. Mine was not the case. I supported the team when I was young.
“People that know me, even back in Nigeria, and even when I was playing at Watford, my team-mates knew that I loved Manchester United, I support them.” He was asked what he thinks about Marcus Rashford whose injury led to his move. He said Marcus Rashford for him is one of the best strikers in the world but his physicality can aid the United forward line. “I’m very fast, I’m skillful, I’m strong, I have good techniques, so I can find my way in the field of play,” he added.
“They have a striker that stays mostly in the middle, but Martial likes to come from the side, even Rashford, so you need someone in the middle that can keep the ball, hold the ball. “They need a physicality up front to keep the ball, to give and to make some movement, which I believe if everything goes well I can add to the team.”
His debut is going to be against Chelsea who are 5 points above them in the league table. For Odion Ighalo six months is enough to prove himself and help the team win trophies. He has Europa which he has never played before and if United finishes in the fourth place he has the chance to play champions league as well before going back. Top of Form
