BiographyOdion Ighalo
Name:Odion Jude
Last name:Ighalo
Date of Birth:June 16, 1989
Place of Birth:Lagos, Nigeria
Profession:Footballer
Position:Forward
Odion Ighalo’s Personal Life
Odion Jude Ighalo was born on June 16, 1989, in Lagos, Nigeria. This professional footballer plays as a forward. He is known as an influential player and has participated in matches for various clubs and national teams throughout his professional career. Ighalo’s private life is generally low-profile, focusing mostly on his sports career.
Where is Odion Ighalo from?
Ighalo was born in Lagos and grew up in Edo State, where his family has roots. He is originally from the Esan region.
Ighalo’s Family and Parents
He grew up in a family with limited economic resources; his father, Paul Ighalo, did not have a stable job at the time, and his mother, Martina Ighalo, supported the family by selling street goods. Unlike his father, who was not interested in football, his mother was his main supporter, providing shoes and transportation to enable him to attend training and matches.
Odion Ighalo’s Marriage
Ighalo has been married to his wife Soniya for 13 years.
Odion Ighalo’s Children and Wife
The couple has three children—two sons and one daughter.
Odion Ighalo’s Professional Football Career Start
Odion Ighalo began his professional football career with Nigerian clubs Prime and Julius Berger. In 2007, he moved to Norway to join Lyn. He then transferred to Udinese in Italy but mostly played on loan at Granada in Spain. Later, he moved to Watford in England and contributed to their promotion to the Premier League. In 2017, he went to the Chinese league and eventually returned on loan to Manchester United. Currently, he plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Hilal and Al Wehda.
Odion Ighalo on Instagram
Ighalo is active on Instagram under the username ighalojude and has over 1.2 million followers. He has posted about 776 times. His content includes photos from inside and outside football, as well as glimpses into his luxurious lifestyle in Saudi Arabia.
Odion Ighalo’s Salary in Saudi Arabia
Odion Ighalo earns around £135,000 per week at Al Hilal, which is less than what he used to earn at Manchester United. According to Salary Sport, he was earning a remarkable £300,000 weekly at Manchester United, a surprising amount for a player who spent most of his time on the bench and had limited roles in matches.
Odion Ighalo and Perspolis
Perspolis club is currently in serious negotiations to sign Odion Ighalo to strengthen their attacking line. Ighalo, who has scored well in the last two seasons with Al Wehda in Saudi Arabia, is one of the main options for Perspolis. Reports indicate that negotiations are nearing completion, and both parties are finalizing contract terms.
Ighalo’s Teams
- Prime (Nigeria) – 2005–2006
- Julius Berger (Nigeria) – 2006–2007
- Lyn (Norway) – 2007–2008
- Udinese (Italy) – 2008–2014
- Granada (Spain) – Loan
- Watford (England) – 2014 to 2017
- Changchun Yatai (China) – 2017–2019
- Shanghai Shenhua (China) – 2019
- Manchester United (England) – 2020 to 2021
- Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia) – 2021–2022
- Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia) – 2022–2023
- Al Wehda (Saudi Arabia) – 2023 to mid-2025
Odion Ighalo’s Individual Awards
- 2015 – Watford (England): Named the Premier League Player of the Month
- 2019 – Nigeria National Team: Included in the Africa Cup of Nations Best XI
- (Egypt 2019) Scored 5 goals, winning the golden boot.
- 2021 – Al Shabab (Saudi Arabia): Winner of the Best Player of the Month award in the Saudi Professional League
- 2022 – Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): Winner of the Best Player of the Month award in the Saudi Professional League
- 2021/2022 season – Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia): Won the Saudi Professional League golden boot and was selected for the team of the season.
