16th July, 2020
Daniel Amokachi said Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo is yet to start a game for Manchester United in the premier league because he was signed to serve as ‘back up’ striker.
The Nigerian football icon noted that Ighalo will find it hard to topple Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in Manchester United’s starting line-up.
Ighalo, 31, joined the Red Devils on loan in January on transfer deadline day from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.
He came when Rashford was diagnosed of a back injury in January which ruled him out for three months.
Ighalo immediately scored four goals and provided one assist in four starts which earned him a contract loan extension with the Red Devils until January 2021.
He has now scored five goals and provided one assist in 14 appearances across all competitions since his arrival at Old Trafford.
Despite his form in cup competitions, Ighalo is yet to start a Premier League game for the Old Trafford outfit, with all his nine appearances for the club being from the bench and Amokachi feels Ighalo will remain on the bench as far as Rashford and Martial are fit.
“Manchester United brought in Odion Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua as a back up to then injured Rashford. Now, Rashford is back from injury and so Ighalo has to take a back seat again,” Amokachi told Brila FM on Thursday
“Our brother Odion was not loaned from Shanghai Shenhua as a starter at Man United but he has scored in the matches he started so Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may even decide that he has done well and deserves to have an extended time there, you never know.
“We cannot expect him to have more playing time than the likes of Rashford and Anthony Martial because he is only a back up there.”