The training secret key to Ighalo's early Man Utd success

The Nigerian has impressed since signing on loan on transfer deadline day and a lot of that is down to the work he did before meeting up with the team
Odion Ighalo’s impact at Manchester United since arriving on loan on the final day of the transfer window has been a surprise to many, but not the coaches who trained him when he first arrived in England.

The club’s decision to bring the Nigerian over from Shanghai Shenhua was widely criticised, but he has already shown in his eight appearances for the club that it was a deft transfer, with his success partly down to the 30-year-old’s commitment and drive.

As a precaution over coronavirus fears the forward did not meet up with his team-mates for two weeks having arrived in the United Kingdom and instead worked with former Manchester City coach-turned-trainer Wayne Richardson at the GB Taekwondo centre, which is located next to City's sprawling Etihad Campus.

 

The striker worked on his fitness and strength and conditioning, on weight sessions and ball work, but it was not just his physical attributes that impressed coaches.

“From the moment he stepped through the door I knew he was a different breed. I see a lot of players who come in with an agenda of what they want but he knew exactly what his targets were going to be and where he wanted to be,” Richardson told Goal.

“I had regular contact with United because they wanted to know what he was doing. I sent them GPS trackings, analysis reports and they were surprised with the level Ighalo was at. Without those two weeks I don't think he would have been in contention for the games that he has already played in."

The ex-Watford forward was two weeks into pre-season training in China when his move was confirmed and the additional two weeks with Richardson Sport, while his new team-mates spent a week at a warm weather training camp in Marbella, allowed him to be in contention for the Premier League game against Chelsea on February.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave him his debut off the bench at Stamford Bridge and a minute later he was unlucky not to get himself on the scoresheet. Since then there have been seven appearances, three starts and four goals for the former Nigeria international and he has given the team an option they didn’t previously have.





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