Ighalo sees Solskjaer’s wisdom getting him more goals at ‘biggest team in the world’ Man Utd

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The Nigerian frontman can see the benefits of having a former striker as his manager and expects his game to benefit considerably from that

Odion Ighalo believes working with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United will add even more goals to his game, with there obvious benefits to be found in being coached by a former striker.

The Nigerian frontman fulfilled a childhood dream during the January transfer window when securing a switch to Old Trafford.

A loan spell with the Red Devils has been stunted by the coronavirus outbreak, but four goals were recorded in just eight outings prior to lockdown.

Ighalo was averaging an effort every 80 minutes before being forced out of action, with his early contribution to the cause suggesting that a permanent deal will be sought by United.

The 30-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer, especially with 1999 Treble winner and former Norway international Solskjaer showing him the way.

Ighalo told MUTV of his manager in Manchester: “When I moved to United, I learned a few things from him.

“During games, there was even a game I scored in and he said ‘You should have scored more if you do this or do that’.

“I thought about it and I know if I would have done what Ole said, I would have scored more. He says: ‘You’re a striker, take the chance’. So I’ve learnt a lot from him, in terms of positioning and how to do one or two things in a game.

“As a striker, it’s good when a striker is coaching you.

“And, as a striker, you benefit even more than the defenders. He is someone who has scored goals for a long time and has done a lot for United, so it’s good to learn from him.”

Ighalo added on Solskjaer, having previously spent time in Norwegian football with Lyn: “He’s a big player [in Norway].

“Playing for United is amazing - for me, it’s the biggest team in the world. In your country, they are going to value it, like the way I am in Nigeria.“In Norway, everyone rates him so highly because he did a lot for United, and he’s Norwegian. He was always on TV when I was there.”

Solskjaer had seen his United side rediscover a spark before competitive football shut down, with the arrival of Ighalo and Bruno Fernandes over the winter helping to raise collective standards.

A coach who had faced questions of his suitability to a demanding role is now being backed to rekindle former glories at the Theatre of Dreams, with Ighalo a fan of the 47-year-old’s methods.

He said: “He’s a very calm guy; he’s a good guy.

“Outside of football, he’s a good guy. When everybody is laughing in training, he joins in and he talks to us, but, when it’s the game, you see a serious face. We have to do this, we have to do that - then it’s business time.”

2020-05-05 18:00:04

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