Ighalo Names Two Legendary Man United Strikers As His Football Role Models

Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke were two of Manchester United’s finest strikers in the 90s, and their exploits inspired a certain Nigerian boy to aim for the highest peak of the sports.

On loan United forward Odion Ighalo has identified the former English striker and the ex Trinidad and Tobago forward as players who had the biggest influence on him while growing up.

The 30-year-old is a big fan of the Red Devils and grew up in Ajegunle, watching the Sir Alex Ferguson-led side dominate English Football in the decade leading to the end of the last millennium.

Cole scored an incredible 93 league goals in almost 200 games, winning five league titles in just six years spent at Old Trafford.

Yorke also enjoyed a largely successful spell at United, being a vital member of the club's 1999 treble-winning squad.

Ighalo has beaten all odds to be featuring and scoring for the 20-time English champions, just like his role models did.

The retired Super Eagles striker has netted four goals in his last five matches, and he's delighted to be following the footsteps of two of the game's greats.

“I watched Andy Cole growing up,” the former Watford star told beIN Sports, as quoted by The Express. 

“Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, they were two strikers at United who used to score goals.

“They were very strong and scored a lot of goals.”

Ighalo is yet to open his goals account in the Premier League for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, and he will look to change those statistics when the league resumes on April 3 from its coronavirus-induced break.