•He scored four goals in eight games for United before football was suspended due to Covid-19.
•United have nine games left to play in the league and are fifth on 45 points, three points behind Chelsea, with the campaign set to resume on June 17.
Image: REUTERS
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo hopes to lift Manchester United “higher and higher” after extending his loan deal at the Premier League club from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of January 2021.
Ighalo, whose initial loan spell from the Chinese Super League side was set to end on May 31, scored four goals in eight games for United before football was suspended due to Covid-19.
“I’m buzzing and ready to go ... the last few days have been difficult as there have been different talks about it (future),” he told United’s website.
“... Now I’ve extended my loan, it makes it more even clear and I’m committed... I’m here until January ending. I just want to work hard and enjoy it, support the team and do whatever I can to make us go higher and higher.”
United have nine games left to play in the league and are fifth on 45 points, three points behind Chelsea, with the campaign set to resume on June 17.
They have all but sealed progress to the Europa League quarter-finals after a 5-0 win over LASK Linz in the first leg of their last-16 fixture. “I can’t wait for the league to start again,” Ighalo added.
“We did mention today there could be 15-16 games left before the season is finished... we’re working hard and I believe we’re going to do great.
“Everybody’s looking good. Running, working hard and playing football. Little two-a-sides and doing some ball work. Everyone is getting better and better.”
Meanwhile, Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden has become the latest Premier League player to breach social distancing guidelines amid the COVID-19 pandemic after he was pictured having a kickabout at Formby beach on Merseyside.
British media reported that the 20-year-old played football with members of the public and posed for photographs, with the club set to speak to Foden to remind him of his responsibilities and to strictly follow government guidelines.
In April, City’s Kyle Walker was pulled up by the club after he breached Britain’s lockdown rules by hosting a party. Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White also broke lockdown rules last month when he attended a party in London while Everton’s Moise Kean hosted a house party in April. Premier League players have returned to contact training ahead of a scheduled June 17 restart —three months after the season was suspended due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.
In previous rounds of testing since players resumed training there were 12 positives for Covid-19. However, nobody was positive in the last round when 1,130 players and club staff were tested last week.