Odion Ighalo has always talked about how much he has supported Manchester United from his childhood days until he became a superstar footballer. He, however, did not have the opportunity to play for the Premier League giants until he has clocked 30-year-old.
Though he has spent 3 years in his prime playing for Watford before he joined Chinese Super League club Changchun Yatai in 2017 and then another Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in 2019, he has never enjoyed the kind of buzz he has been enjoying at Manchester United since he joined them on loan from Shanghai Shenhua.
When he joined the club in January 2020, most critics faulted Manchester United interest in the striker who turned 31-year-old on June 16. Some of his supporters also faulted his decision to accept a pay cut to join a club where there is no guarantee for first-team football. He has always reminded his critics that it has always been his dream to play for the club.
And now, that dream is about to lead him to actualise another huge dream of his football career which is to play in the English FA Cup final. In his almost 15 years football career, he has not won a prestigious club title except Chinese FA Cup he won with Shanghai Shenhua in 2019.
While playing for Premier League side, Watford between 2014 and 2017, he was instrumental in taking the club as far as reaching the FA Cup semi-final in 2016. Unfortunately for him and his former club, they were knocked out by Crystal Palace.
Odion Ighalo is on the verge of a perfect dream
In the pursuit of his childhood dream, he has found himself in another FA Cup semi-final with Manchester United. He is expected to feature either as a substitute or in the first eleven when United face Chelsea on Sunday. If Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s led United team wins, Ighalo will find himself in his first English FA Cup final in his career.
While reacting to this possibility, Odion Ighalo told United’s official website that if he could make it to the final, it would be great for his life and his career.
“I missed out in 2016 and I have the opportunity to now get to the final with the club I’ve supported all my life”, he said. “It would make my dreams perfect. It will be tough but we have what it takes.
“We have beaten them three times this season I think, one in the Carabao Cup and two in the league, and we’re playing them now in the semi-final. All those games don’t count though.
“This is a different game which is going to be even tougher without the fans in the stadium. We have to fight from the first minute until the end. It’s always tough against them but I think, with the quality and momentum we have now, we are ready to go and to win against any team.”
