I did not have a name on the back of my Manchester United shirt as a kid because I couldn’t afford it – Odion Ighalo reveals

Manchester United player Odion Ighalo has revealed how he couldn’t afford having his name printed on the back of his Manchester United jersey when he was a kid because he was broke.

Ighalo who earns 130,000 pounds a week at Manchester United, joined the club from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in January and is reportedly set to be handed a new permanent contract over his good displays for the club.
Ighalo now reminiscing on his past life, as a broke young Ajegunle boy, said;

“I had a United jersey but no player name on the back,” he told Inside United, the official club magazine.

“It was one of the old blue ones but definitely no name on the back. You have to pay to put names on the back and there was no money to pay for that! I just got the United top.

“It was a blue one but a long time ago. I can’t remember as I was very, very young.”

Ighalo also revealed he is happy Nigerians now watch Manchester United games more often because of him.

“It’s good – you have to go to an event centre and pay to watch the games,” Ighalo explained.

“Any time United were playing, I’d go with my siblings. You’d have to pay to watch the games and now people are watching me and United. It is a big fan-base and it is growing even much bigger.

“Everybody is sending me messages saying they can’t wait to see me and watch the United games. I am very happy about that.”
Ighalo also remembered the first time he played at Old Trafford with former team Watford in March 2016, his second visit to the Theatre of Dreams.

“When did I first set my eyes on it?” he said. “It was in 2013 when I came to see the stadium, to visit it and go around, taking pictures outside the stadium. The first time I played there was for Watford in 2016.

”Manchester United is a big club. When I saw that, I was amazed. I was outside the stadium and I took pictures. Then I played there with Watford, against United, and it made me even more happy. I came out of the stadium and stood looking at it.

“This is the stadium you have been watching back home when you were young and now you’re playing here for Watford against Man United. It feels good.

“And even now, playing for United? It’s making even greater moments for me.“