Every Manchester United fan will have raised an eyebrow, at the very least, when their club were linked with a shock deadline-day move for Odion Ighalo last week.Many were presumably left with their heads in the hands, wondering how on earth one of the world’s biggest clubs had gone from chasing Erling Haaland at the start of the window to a former Watford striker several weeks later.After considering the likes of Salomon Rondon, Josh King and Edinson Cavani, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was eventually forced to settle for Ighalo, who’d spent the past few years boosting his bank balance in China.However, United fans quickly changed their tune about the Nigerian striker when they discovered he was a boyhood fan of the Red Devils.Ighalo revealed in a 2016 interview: “They were my team growing up. I loved watching Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke on TV. They were my idols and playing at Old Trafford has always been a dream.”

A photo of Ighalo wearing a blue United shirt with his friends in Nigeria during the mid-2000s also went viral on social media, which further endeared him to the Old Trafford faithful.

The 30-year-old, who is on loan from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season, took a pay cut to join his beloved United.

Talking about the discussions with his agent, Ighalo revealed this week: “He said you're going to get a pay cut to go to United. I said I don't care. Make this deal happen. I want to go to United. I don't care how much is the pay cut, I know that, make it happen."

And on Wednesday night, he posted a photo of himself from his first visit to Old Trafford in 2013, alongside the caption: “My visit to Old Trafford back in 2013 as fan and now I will be playing in Old Trafford😊 God is the greatest 🙏🏾“

Shortly after that, footage of Ighalo working hard during Man Utd’s warm-weather training camp has made fans feel even more desperate to see him succeed at the Theatre of Dreams.

Watch the video here…

They are particularly happy to see that he looks capable of holding up the ball because United currently lack a forward whose strength is playing with his back to goal.

With Marcus Rashford expected to be out until March at the earliest, Ighalo will be in line to make his debut away at Chelsea on February 17.

And he’ll have the full backing of United’s travelling supporters.