Football: 5 things to know about Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo

Manchester United's Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo controls the ball during the Uefa Europa League round of 32 second leg football match against Club Brugge at Old Trafford, on Feb 27, 2020. PHOTO: AFP

Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo has three goals from just two starts for Manchester United after yesterday's FA Cup fifth-round clash against Derby County. The 30 year-old netted a brace in the 3-0 win over the Championship side.

He overshadowed Derby player-coach Wayne Rooney, who was facing his former club for the first time since returning to England from Major League Soccer outift DC United last year.

Here are five things to know about Ighalo:

1. He is the first Nigerian to play for United after joining his boyhood club on loan from Chinese Super League outfit Shanghai Greenland Shenhua until June 30, 2020.

He went through a 14-day quarantine period before linking up with his new teammates as a precaution due to the coronavirus outbreak.

2. He dedicated his first United goal - against FC Brugge in the Europa League - to his sister Mary. She died at the age of 43 last December.

"She is a Man United fan. We prayed for this moment to play for United," Ighalo said after the last-32, second-leg match. "Unfortunately she is not here to see me doing that. I promised I would dedicate every goal I scored."

3. His poor family background inspired him to start up the Ighalo Orphanage Foundation in Lagos in 2017. He grew up in a slum.

"Back then in Ajegunle, it was difficult to live, difficult to eat and that is why I thank God. My parents didn't always have what we wanted or needed, we had to struggle," he told The Guardian.

4. His first pair of football boots were bought with money earned from selling bottled water and soft drinks. They were adidas Copa Mundials.

5. In 2015, Ighalo made his debut for the Nigeria national team. He represented his country at the 2018 World Cup and was the top scorer in their 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign and at the continental tournament, where they finished third.

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