Jude Odion Ighalo, the Super Eagles forward, recently shared that his time at Manchester United in the English Premier League stands out as the pinnacle of his career.

Playing at the iconic Old Trafford fulfilled a lifelong dream for him. Despite facing numerous challenges, his transfer to the club happened against all odds, almost miraculously.

“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.”

In January 2020, Ighalo joined Manchester United on loan from Chinese side, Shanghai Shenhua, initially until the end of the 2019–20 season. The loan was then extended until January 2021.