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Odion Jude Ighalo has paid his dues since he featured for Nigeria at the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup. Six years later he made his debut for the senior national team, the Super Eagles. He has been somewhat of a journeyman playing in Norway, Italy and Spain before moving to England where he has stayed for the last one and half seasons with Watford. He helped them gain promotion from the Championship to the Premier League where he has now scored 14 goals in the first half of the season.
He reviewed some of his 2015 experience with Goal correspondent KOLADE ONI, the brains behind his form and Watford in only their debut season in the most exciting league in the world.
Goal Nigeria: Odion, it was an impressive performance by you and your team against Chelsea. How did Watford feel at the end of the regulation time having drawn against the defending champions?
ODION IGHALO: It was an awesome feeling I must admit. We were all very happy that we got another fine result against a very tough Chelsea team. It was due to the hard work of everyone in the team from the players to the coaches and others on the sideline too.
The goal you got against Chelsea was your 13th of the season, did you celebrate it differently from your other goals?
To be frank with you it was because of the hard work of the whole team, it wasn’t about me. I was happy to score again against Chelsea after the two I got against Liverpool but I never celebrated it differently from the other ones.
The goal you scored against Chelsea made you the first Watford player to score in five successive matches. Was setting this record on your mind before the start of the game?
It is always nice breaking and setting records but I don’t go into a match thinking about myself. I am happy to be given such accolade but this will only make me to work harder in subsequent matches. I am delighted with the feat and to break the record set by my teammate and friend, Troy Deeney is awesome but we will continue to work harder.
Did it ever occur to you and your teammates that Watford will go this far in the EPL this season with their present seventh position on the log?
To be candid we never saw this coming when we got promoted to the EPL at the end of last season but we have found ourselves in this position and we want to consolidate on it. We have had some unreal results but we won’t stop to think about them now. We want to concentrate on doing what we have been doing that has kept us thus far.
Your impressive performances for club and country have earned you a place in the Goal Nigeria Player of the Year nomination. How do you feel about this nomination?
I feel great. I thank Goal for counting me worthy of a place among the top 10 Nigerian players that excelled in the year under review and whether I win it or not I am just elated to be on the list. It has been a magnificent year for me and I can’t thank God enough.
You made your debut for the Eagles in 2015 among other landmark feats you recorded in the outgoing year, will you say that 2015 has been a special year for you on a personal note?
I don’t know how best to describe 2015. It is my best season thus far as a professional and scoring over 10 goals in my debut season in the EPL has made it a turnaround season for me. I am indebted to God, my family, Nigerians and Watford for ensuring that I have had such a wonderful year.
What next for you in 2016?
I won’t shift focus and I don’t want to get tired of what I am doing. I will keep on working hard for both the Eagles and my club hoping that next year would be more profitable and exciting than 2015.
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