Former Watford captain Troy Deeney has revealed how a 2016 Premier League clash against Manchester United nearly pushed him over the edge due to the actions of teammate and former Super Eagles striker Odion Ighalo.
In an explosive recollection, Deeney detailed how Ighalo who is a lifelong Manchester United fan, let personal passion cloud his judgment during an intense fixture.
“He was a Man United fan. In the game, he had eight shots,” Deeney said. “Of those eight, he could have passed to two other people five times. ”
Deeney said that Ighalo’s tunnel vision on the night led to heated emotions within the team, particularly as Watford struggled to make their chances count.
Troy Deeney and Odion Ighalo during their time at Watford. Photo Credit: X
“He wanted to score against his boyhood team totally get it,” Deeney continued.
“But on that day it was a Tuesday night game, I’ll never forget it. We walked to the tunnel and everyone who passed me was like, ‘Don’t kill him.’ I was like, ‘Keep him f**k away from me.”
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The post-match mood quickly soured, with Deeney refusing to even share a plane with Ighalo afterward.
“The manager’s like, ‘Unlucky, we had our chances.’ I said, ‘I ain’t getting on a plane with you. I ain’t getting on a plane with him.’ Got a taxi from Manchester to the hotel.”
However, the 2016–17 season saw a sharp decline in form. Ighalo scored just once in the league and went 15 games without a goal before eventually leaving the club.
Odion Ighalo scored 40 goals in 100 games for Watford. Photo Credit: X
On 31 January 2017, Ighalo made a high-profile move to the Chinese Super League, joining Changchun Yatai for a reported £20 million.
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His dream moment came three years later. On 31 January 2020, he returned to England and joined Manchester United on loan from Shanghai Shenhua.
Ighalo became the first Nigerian player and seventh African to play for the club. He wore the number 25 shirt and scored memorable goals in the FA Cup and Europa League. His half-volley against LASK was voted United’s Goal of the Month in March 2020.
