The on-loan Shanghai Shenhua striker has been told to ignore calls asking him to return to the national team set-up following a change in his club fortunes.
Former Nigeria international, Garba Lawal, has advised Manchester United’s new boy, Odion Ighalo, to shun those calling him to come out of retirement and join Gernot Rohr’s Super Eagles squad.
Ighalo called it quit with the Super Eagles immediately after helping the team to a third-place finish at the 2019 African Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt. He netted five goals to emerge the highest goalscorer of the tourney.
Lille youngster Victor Osimhen has since made the step up to the Super Eagles striking role, with the youngster scoring four goals in his last four games for Nigeria.
However, Ighalo reemerged as one of the most talked-about strikers in England after he completed a sensational move to Man United on transfer deadline day.
Rohr is reportedly looking to convince the 30-year-old to continue his international career, but former Roda JC midfielder, Lawal, believes that would not be in the interest of his club career.
“Rohr does not have a say in this matter, it is the responsibility of Ighalo to decide whether he wants to come back to the Eagles or not,” Lawal said, in quotes obtained from the New Nigeria Telegraph.
“However, I think he knows that he has more responsibility to Manchester United now; I know that it is going to be better for him if he focuses more on how he can help his club career. It is a rare opportunity to get signed by such a big club at this stage of his career, and getting distracted by the national team you have retired from is unnecessary.
“I don’t think the Super Eagles is missing Ighalo; he did so much for Nigeria before he left, and I think we should allow him to enjoy his retirement. The good thing is that the younger players have stepped up, and we should encourage these lads to continue to grow,” he said.