Jude Odion Ighalo, a Super Eagles forward currently playing for Al-Wehda, considers his time at Manchester United in the English Premier League as the pinnacle of his career.
Playing at Old Trafford was a dream come true for him, as he reflected on how unlikely it seemed for him to make the move.
“Sometimes we dream about something, sometimes it comes to pass, sometimes it doesn’t. But [my dream of playing for] Man U came to pass,” he told Oma Sports TV.
“I’m a Manchester United fan from when I was young. I used to pay at viewing centres to watch Man United. Whenever they lose, I will be crying. So playing at Old Trafford is one of the biggest dreams that came to pass. I’m happy being the first and only Nigerian to play for Manchester United.
“It was all God. I don’t know how that deal happened. If someone had told me a year or ten years before then, I wouldn’t had believe. Then all the odds were against me: 30 years old, playing in China for three years then coming back to the Premier League with a team like Man U. So all the odds were against me. But when God want to do something, he would just pick you from no where and put you up there.
“If I tell you I know how it happened, it would be lying. It was just God. I don’t know. I just know that I played for Man United for one year. And that was the biggest, greatest highlight of my career.”
Despite all the obstacles, Jude Ighalo miraculously transferred to Manchester United on loan from Shanghai Shenhua in January 2020, with the loan later extended until January 2021.
