Odion Ighalo recently spoke to CNN about growing up from humble beginnings. Growing up in Ajegunle, gangs were rife and opportunities scarce. Ighalo had to scrape together the money to ride the bus to matches — sometimes, there wasn’t enough.
Now, the 26-year-old striker is one of the Premier League’s top performers after his torrent of goals for Watford last season catapulted the team into England’s top flight.
This season the Nigerian has netted 14 goals in 26 league appearances and his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed by the league’s top clubs — Manchester United hold an interest in the striker, according to reports in the British media.
Besides his hard work — and ardent faith in God — Ighalo puts his success down to the belief of one woman.
“I have a Mum that supported me right from the beginning,” he revealed. “It was not easy coming up from there. You’re training on a mud ground and all that, sometimes you train barefoot.
“My mum bought me my first pair of football shoes — I can remember they were Copa Mondials. In Nigeria, you have to pay for water you drink, pay for transport to go training. You have to pay for everything.
“My mum afforded me what [she] could … sometimes it wasn’t enough to travel to play games outside the city. She supported me right from day one.”
If it wasn’t for his mother, the star revealed he may not have continued to play football at all.
“Sometimes my Dad wanted to spank me when I went to play football, when I didn’t do my homework and all that,” he said. “They would argue. My mum said, ‘You have to leave him if he wants to play football.'”
For now, the diligent striker is pouring his ambition into Watford. He’s got big dreams for the team, which sits ninth in England’s top flight.
“Look at Leicester, they are flying. If I told you on the first day of the League that Leicester would be where they are now, I think you would slap me.
“We can’t say now, but I believe one day, we can win the League and why not the Champions League. It’s football. It’s a game. Anything can happen.”