Odion Ighalo

Odion Ighalo

Personal information
Full name	Odion Jude Ighalo
Date of birth	16 June 1989 (1989-06-16) (age 22)
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Granada (on loan from Udinese)
Number	7
Youth career
0000–2006	Prime
2006–2007	Julius Berger
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2007–2008	Lyn	20	(9)
2008–	Udinese	6	(1)
2009–2010	→ Granada (loan)	28	(17)
2010	→ Cesena (loan)	3	(0)
2011–	→ Granada (loan)	29	(5)
National team
2009	Nigeria U20	3	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 November 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Odion Jude Ighalo (born June 16, 1989) is a Nigerian professional footballer, currently playing for Granada CF, on loan from Udinese.

Club career

Nigeria

Ighalo was recommended to coach Samson Siasia and was given the chance to play against Ghana in the U-23 Nigerian National Team. His play with Nigeria lead to his signing by Prime. He than moved to Julius Berger were he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman who recommended him to Atta Aneke and was taken on trials to Lyn in Norway.

Lyn

Ighalo made his debut for Lyn 16 September 2007 against Viking. After only 10 months in Norway he was transfer to Udinese for a record fee of US$2,8 million dollars.

After Udinese showed interest in Ighalo, Lyn announced the club was open to receiving offers for signing the player, as Brann also showed interest in him and reported Lyn to the Football Association of Norway as being unfair to Brann in the negotiation process.^[1]

Udinese

However, On 30 July 2008, Ighalo signed a 5-year contract with Italian club Udinese,^[2] along with Lyn team mate, Jo Inge Berget.

Granada

In July 2009, he was loaned out to Granada CF,^[3] as the Spanish club has signed a partnership agreement with Udinese.^[4] On 22 August 2009, Ighalo completed the transfer.^[5] During the 2010-11 season Ighalo helped Granada to gain promotion to La Liga as he scored in a 1-1 draw with Elche CF in the promotion playoffs which sent Granada to the first division on the away goals rule.

International career

He played in the Junior World Cup 2009 in Egypt.

References

1. ^ "Lyn, Brann og Odion Ighalo" (in Norwegian). FC Lyn Oslo. 2008-07-30. http://www.lyn.no/index.aspx?id=2377616. Retrieved 2010-01-15. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Blir trist å forlate Lyn" (in Norwegian). lyn.no. 2008-07-30. http://www.lyn.no/index.aspx?id=2377620. Retrieved 2010-01-15. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Pistoletazo de salida al Granada C.F. 2009/2010" (in Spanish). Granada CF. 2009-07-23. http://www.granadacf.es/gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=300:pistoletazo-de-salida&catid=34:ultimas-noticias&Itemid=59. Retrieved 2009-08-20. ^{[dead link]}
4. ^ "Apuesta de futuro por el Granada CF" (in Spanish). Granada CF. 2009-07-10. http://www.granadacf.es/gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=291&catid=291. Retrieved 2009-08-17. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Odion Ighalo, nuevo jugador del Granada C.F." (in Spanish). Granada CF. 2009-08-22. http://www.granadacf.es/gr/index.php?view=article&catid=34%3Aultimas-noticias&id=338%3Aodion-ighalo&option=com_content&Itemid=59. Retrieved 2009-08-22. ^{[dead link]}

External links

• Granada official profile (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Transfermarkt profile
• Donbalon profile (Spanish)
• Lyn profile (Norwegian)

Persondata
Name	Ighalo, Odion Jude
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	16 June 1989
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Date of death
Place of death