"I thought it was a joke," says EPL star Ighalo on Manchester United move as he vows to prove doubters wrong

EPL striker Odion Ighalo has opened up on his Manchester United dream, as his fairytale journey with the EPL giants looks set to continue till 2021.

The Nigerian striker arrived in the EPL in the January transfer window as an emergency signing to fill in for Marcus Rashford, who was injured at the time.

“Not every dream comes to pass, but mine has."Odion Ighalo told Sky Sports why he will cherish every moment of his stint at Manchester United 🔴

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 6, 2020

However, Ighalo made such an impression that the Red Devils extended his initial loan deal by six months. Speaking to Sky Sports, the 30-year-old shed light on his EPL dream so far and expressed his joy at representing the club he supported as a young boy.

"It's so hard to explain, but I still have the same feeling. I want to go every day to train with these young players and show what I can do. This is a great achievement for me to be at this club and I will never take it for granted."

Ighalo has scored four goals for the EPL side since arriving from Shanghai Shenhua.

EPL dream felt like a joke, reveals Ighalo

Ighalo has scored four times for Manchester United since signing in January

The striker, who is best known for his time with EPL side Watford, claimed that he could hardly believe it when he was told of Manchester United's offer.

"I thought it was a joke. Would a club as a big as United be looking in China for a striker? That was against me. My age. That was against me. There was a pandemic in China. That was against me."

"I said no this is a joke. Later when it got serious, I thought only when I fly to Manchester will I believe it."

The 30-year-old, along with fellow January arrival Bruno Fernandes, has delivered the goods immediately for the EPL side. Manchester United look well placed to secure a spot in the EPL top four and Ighalo believes there is a lot of potential in the squad.

"Paul Pogba is back, he's doing very well, he's strong, he's fit. Marcus [Rashford] is exceptional, a very talented player. I can't wait to play with these guys."

"He [Bruno Fernandes] is one of the best I've played with. He has vision, gives good passes and scores goals. He's still getting used to the Premier League and when he settles down, he's going to be so good for Manchester United."

Ighalo's EPL dream looks set to continue for the time being and he hopes to play a big role for his side in the business end of the season.

Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo reveals that he was racially abused while playing in China and would walk off the pitch if it happened again.

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) June 5, 2020

The Red Devils are currently fifth in the EPL standings, three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. However, with a favourable run of fixtures coming up, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been tipped to secure Champions League football for next season.

The EPL is scheduled to return on June 17th after a two and a half month hiatus owing to the COVID-19 outbreak in Europe. Manchester United have a run of four games in 11 days once the season restarts and will need each member of the squad at their best to get through the important period unscathed.