On deadline day in January 2020, one of the most surprising transfers of the window was announced. Manchester United had signed Odion Ighalo on loan from Shanghai Shenhua. For many fans, the striker was a forgotten name from Watford. For Ighalo, who had grown up supporting United in Ajegunle, it was a dream come true. He reportedly took a pay cut to make it happen.
Ajegunle and Watford
Ighalo was born in 1989 and grew up in Ajegunle, a crowded and tough Lagos neighbourhood that has produced several Nigerian footballers. He played street football there before joining local clubs. His professional career took him to Norway with Lyn, then to Italy with Udinese, who loaned him to several clubs in Italy and Spain. At Watford, he scored goals that helped the club win promotion to the Premier League in 2015. In the 2015-16 Premier League season, he was one of the division’s most dangerous strikers in the first half of the campaign.
China, AFCON and Manchester United
In 2017 he moved to China, playing for Changchun Yatai and then Shanghai Shenhua. The move brought high wages and many goals. At the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt, Ighalo finished as the tournament’s top scorer with five goals as Nigeria won the bronze medal. He retired from international football soon afterwards. His performances at the 2018 World Cup, including a missed chance against Argentina, drew heavy criticism and abuse online. He spoke later about how it affected him.
At United, he scored several goals in cup competitions and the Europa League, and his loan was extended. Fans warmed to his obvious joy at playing for the club.
Saudi Arabia, faith and family
He later moved to Saudi Arabia, playing for Al Shabab and Al Hilal, and continued to score regularly. Ighalo often speaks about his Christian faith and how it sustained him through setbacks. He has spoken about the death of his sister in 2019 and the support he gave her children. In Saudi Arabia, he finished among the league’s top scorers, proving he could still score freely into his thirties.
Ighalo kicked footballs in the streets of Ajegunle dreaming of Old Trafford. He got there at 30, years after most people had stopped expecting it, and scored in the shirt he had always wanted to wear.
