New Manchester United signing Odion Ighalo has been doing everything possible to be ready right away for the club.
There have been questions over how fit he will be, considering the Chinese Super League season ended in early December.
That’s not a concern, according to The Telegraph, which spoke to professional trainer Wayne Richardson who has been taking him for extra sessions in Manchester alongside Olympic athletes since he touched down in the UK, including one which went on until 10.30pm.
He raved: “From the moment he has stepped through the door, he is one of the few players who has blown me away. His determination, drive and willingness. He’s been doing double sessions and we’ve had to hold him back a bit and monitor him because he has fire in his stomach as a professional.
“Some people come in and just do the training but this guy has embraced it all and hopefully we have prepared him the best we can.”
The right attitude
This is all so encouraging to hear and ties in with everything we have learned about Ighalo’s character since he joined the club.
He came across so well in his interview with United, and previous managers have lauded his professionalism.
It was always going to be a long shot for Ighalo to be ready to face Chelsea next weekend, and it still may be.
But it seems as though the striker is doing everything possible to give himself the best chance.
Today he will link up with his new teammates for a training camp in Marbella.
United’s coaches can assess him closely and he can put in more hard work. His efforts in the last week may pay off.
If United’s coaching staff are as impressed as his personal trainer, then Ighalo might stand a chance of making an instant impact. He’s got a chance at the very least of making the bench at Stamford Bridge.
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