Ighalo says emotional goodbye to Man United, backs club to win EPL

NIGERIA striker Odion Ighalo has announced his departure from Manchester United after one year at the club.

Ighalo supported United as a child growing up in Lagos and fulfilled his dream of playing for them when he joined on loan from Shanghai Shenhua in February 2020.

Although he did not get to play much, the former Super Eagles striker is a favourite of the United fanbase and he expressed his thankfulness for the opportunity to play for the club.

“It’s so hard to see this dream come to an end,” Ighalo wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night.

“But I give God the glory for helping me fulfill this life-long dream of putting on a Manchester United shirt as a player and to represent this great club, indeed it was an honour I will forever cherish and be grateful for.”

Although United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave Ighalo only a handful of starts at the club, the 31-year-old was still full of gratitude to the Norwegian, his staff and teammates.

“To the manager, I say thank you for trusting and believing in me when many did not,” Ighalo added.

“To my amazing teammates I will miss you guys. It was always fun and a time I always looked forward to training and spending time with all of you.”

United are second in the Premier League and are in a title race for the first time since the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager in 2013.

Ighalo, speaking as a fan, is wishing the club success in the competitions they are involved in this season.

“And I pray we win the league and FA Cup this year,” he wrote.

“I’m still and will remain a Manchester United fan forever. Once a Red, always a Red.”

Ighalo became surplus to requirements at United with the arrival of Edinson Cavani in October. The Nigerian played only 157 minutes of football, nine of those minutes in the Premier League, in the first half of the season.

Overall, Ighalo played 23 matches and scored five goals in his time at Old Trafford.