TheNewsGuru

Tag: Odion Ighalo

  • Ighalo doesn’t have Man Utd quality – Scholes

    Former Manchester United midfielder, Paul Scholes, has questioned whether Odion Ighalo is good enough to play for the club

    United have signed Ighalo on a six-month loan from Shanghai Shenhua.

    The Nigerian striker is expected to be in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad, for Monday’s trip to Chelsea in the Premier League.

    Solskjaer moved to sign Ighalo, after Marcus Rashford was ruled out for up to three months with a back problem.

    But Scholes, speaking to the UK Mirror, said: “I don’t think he’s signing for the long term. I think his scoring record in China is very good, but is it credible? I don’t know.

    “It’s good to have an extra body, but when you’re United, you want an extra body with quality, and he’s got that to prove.

    “He’ll bring something different. I don’t see him starting many games.”

  • Ighalo desperate to debut for Man Utd – Solskjaer

    Ighalo desperate to debut for Man Utd – Solskjaer

    Odion Ighalo keen desire to play for his new English Premier League side, Manchester United, will be rewarded in earnest following confirmation by manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer that the Nigerian will expectedly make his debut against Chelsea next Monday.

    Solskjaer hinted that the 30-year-old forward who moved to Old Trafford on a six-loan deal from Shanghai Shenhua will travel with the squad to Stamford Bridge, adding the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) top scorer ‘is desperate to play for us.’

    Though Ighalo has been ‘holed up’ in Manchester while his teammates are away on a six-day winter break camping in Spain, Solskjaer said he was already impressed with the player’s puritanical devotion and enthusiasm.

    “Yeah, he (Odion Ighalo) is going to travel with us (against Chelsea),” Solskjaer was quoted as saying in an interview with the club’s website from the Marbella Football Centre in Spain. “We will just see his fitness work this week and I think we will get him sharp.

    “We want to integrate him as quickly as we can because, of course, he is desperate to play for us,” added the manager.

    Ighalo, a lifelong supporter of Manchester is already being tagged as the Reds’ passionate new no.25’ has been working his socks with personalised training at the gymnasium of GB (Great Britain) Taekwondo and under strict supervision of performance coach Wayne Richardson.

    “He was doing his pre-season, he had just started that out in China,” Richardson told the Manchester Evening News. “He’s come totally professional, totally prepared. He’s not come off the cuff or anything.

    He knows what he wants and what he wants to do.”

     

  • Josh King reacts to Man Utd signing Ighalo ahead of him

    Josh King reacts to Man Utd signing Ighalo ahead of him

    Bournemouth striker, Josh King, has broken his silence following his failed transfer to Manchester United.

    The 28-year-old was a major target for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, as he tried to bring in a replacement for the injured Marcus Rashford.

    King spent five years with United at the start of his career and has admitted a return to Old Trafford, would have been a dream come true.

    However, the move never happened and the Red Devils instead brought in Odion Ighalo on a six-month loan.

    “How close it was I have no complete answer to. I have to watch what I say.

    “I had some faith that it was going to happen. And it was a bit sensitive for me considering that I moved to England as a 16-year-old to achieve my dream and wanted to reach that goal at Manchester United.

    “It did not [happen] and then I made a choice and left. When you hear that you are connected to United and a bid comes in, then the feelings you had as a 16-year-old come back to you.

    “But why it did not happen, I do not know,” King told Norwegian outlet TV 2.

    He added: “I’m a Bournemouth player and I really enjoy it here.”

    King played for the last 20 minutes, as Bournemouth lost 2-1 to Sheffield United.

  • Ighalo out of Man Utd squad over coronavirus fears

    Ighalo out of Man Utd squad over coronavirus fears

    Odion Ighalo is not part of Manchester United’s squad, travelling to Spain for a training camp.

    The Nigerian striker has been left out over fears that he could be denied entry back into the UK because of the coronavirus outbreak

    Ighalo only arrived last week from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on a six-month loan deal.

    There are currently three cases of coronavirus in the UK.

    United fly to Spain on Saturday for a warm-weather camp, but Ighalo will remain in Manchester, where he will undergo on a personal training and fitness programme.

    A club statement said: “The club can also confirm that, due to the current situation in China, it has been decided that new signing Odion Ighalo will not travel to Spain as it is not guaranteed that he’d clear UK immigration on return should border restrictions tighten on travellers who’ve been in China within the past 14 days.”

  • Ighalo’s mum in tears over son’s dream move to Man Utd

    Odion Ighalo has revealed that his mother broke down in tears, after he told her about his move to Manchester United.

    The 30-year-old has agreed a six-month loan deal with the Old Trafford side.

    The deal was confirmed few minutes before the January transfer deadline.

    In an interview with Manchester United Official website, Ighalo said his mum was overcome with emotions when it became official.

    “I was excited. I called my mum and she was happy, crying and all that.

    “This is your dream and all that and I’m happy for you. It was dramatic, I didn’t sleep through, I was very happy that finally, we got the deal done.

    “Yeah, it was very dramatic. My agent called me the day before and said Man United,” he said.

    Ighalo, who has been brought in as replacement for the injured Marcus Rashford, is in line to make his debut away to Chelsea after the winter break.

  • I took a pay cut to join Man Utd – Ighalo

    I took a pay cut to join Man Utd – Ighalo

    Odion Ighalo has revealed that he took a pay cut to ensure his move to Manchester United happened.

    The Nigerian striker will play for the Red Devils until the end of the season, after agreeing a six-month loan.

    It is a dream come true for Ighalo, who supported United as a child growing up in Ajegunle, Lagos and he was not ready to allow money stand in the way.

    “(My agent) said you’re going to get a pay-cut to go to United. I said I don’t care. Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don’t care how much the pay-cut,” Ighalo told the club’s official website.

    The 30-year-old also promised to give his best for the Premier League side.

    “I’m happy to be a Man United player, I’m looking forward to the game and I promise to give my best from the first day I put on the jersey to the last day of my time here.

    “I promise to add my own path to make sure the season finishes well for United,” Ighalo added.

  • Rohr woos Ighalo back to Super Eagles

    Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr says he will try to convince Odion Ighalo to return to the national team seven months after he called time on his international career.

    The Franco-German admitted that it would be difficult to overlook a player playing at the highest level in football.

    He also stated that the Manchester United striker could be a source of motivation for the young crop of players in the national team.

    “We are very happy about the new team of Ighalo, Manchester United is a fantastic challenge for him and I spoke already with him and you know he is a very good player on and off the pitch,” Rohr told AOIFootball.com.

    “If a player is playing in Manchester United each coach of national teams would like to have him. Our young players could learn a lot on the side of this great goal scorer,” Rohr said.

    Before his retirement, the 30-year-old was Rohr’s most trusted front man as he helped the Eagles qualify for both the 2018 World Cup and the 2019 AFCON with a game to spare before also topping the scorers’ chart at the AFCON to bag Bronze for Nigeria.

  • Man Utd reveal Ighalo’s jersey number

    Man Utd reveal Ighalo’s jersey number

    Manchester United have confirmed that new striker, Odion Ighalo will wear the number 25 jersey number at the club.

    The Red Devils disclosed this in a statement on their official website on Tuesday.

    Ighalo has been handed the number 25 squad number at Man United.

    “ He joined the club on a six-month loan deal from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.

    “That shirt has been vacant since Antonio Valencia left Old Trafford last summer, bringing an end to his 10-season career as a Manchester United player.

    “The 30-year-old striker’s move was completed on Friday on six a month deal.

    “The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations top scorer will bolster Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad for the rest of the season.”

  • Why I signed Ighalo for Man Utd – Solskjaer

    Why I signed Ighalo for Man Utd – Solskjaer

    Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has revealed why the club signed 30-year-old former Nigeria international, Odion Ighalo.

    Manchester United brought in Ighalo from Shanghai Greenland Shenhua on transfer deadline day.

    Solskjaer said the Nigerian 2018 World Cup striker would help solve the goalscoring issues of the club.

    Anthony Martial and teenage striker, Mason Greenwood have been used as United point men following the injury suffered by Marcus Rashford.

    “It was very important. I thought, with Marcus out for so long, the demands on Anthony and Mason would be high,” Solskjaer told MUTV.

    “We get an experienced goalscorer, top scorer in the Africa Cup of Nations last season. He’s a man with a big smile, a great personality and a big Manchester United fan.

    “He’s going to savour this, enjoy this and give absolutely everything for us.”

    Ighalo will spend six month at Old Trafford following the loan move.

  • Trending: See photo of Ighalo wearing Man Utd jersey during his childhood

    Trending: See photo of Ighalo wearing Man Utd jersey during his childhood

    Manchester United signed former Super Eagles striker Odion from Shanghai Shenhua on loan until the end of the season, after which the 30-year-old childhood photograph surfaced on social media of him wearing a blue Man Utd jersey.

    See photo:

    However, this move has been done to cover the short-term injury to Marcus Rashford.

    England international Rashford, 22, is out with a stress fracture in his back sustained after coming on as a substitute during the FA Cup third-round replay win against Wolves on 15 January.