Super Eagles striker, Odion Jude Ighalo has revealed that his ex-teammate at Watford, Cameroon’s Allan Nyom was so furious at him for turning down a move to Hebei China Fortune FC in 2015 that he called him fool and asked him to report to him every morning for hot slap.

Odion Ighalo who eventually joined another Chinese club Changchun Yatai on the last day of the 2017 winter transfer said Allan Nyom and some of his teammates couldn’t comprehend his decision to stay in England while he had offer that could pay the entire Watford squad from China.

Speaking on Sports Zone on Lagos Talks on Wednesday, the 28-year-old revealed he didn’t know Watford already accepted a bid from a Chinese club where he had previously turned down offers but because he wanted out of Walter Mazzarri’s Watford he obliged to join the Chinese club.

“I didn’t know that Watford already accepted a bid from the Chinese club because they turned down Westbrom, Crystal Palace even Sam Allardyce called me that he wanted me, I told him to table a bid and wait to see what happens because I wanted out of Walter Mazzarri’s team.

“As you guys know, I once turned down offers from Chinese clubs for two seasons even some of my teammates said I was a fool. My friend Allan Nyom the Cameroon guy that plays for Westbrom now, he said ‘Hey, you, every morning when you come inside this dressing room you have to turn your ears let me be slapping you because you are crazy for turning this kind of money down.’

He said ‘he has never seen a fool like you before, imagine if you get injured and you don’t play football in your life you don’t know what this money will do in your life,’ “I told him to calm down that I have a dream of playing in the Premier League, this is my dream. Then I haven’t even kicked the football in the Premier League because back in Nigeria I watched Premier League on TV, I said this is my dream why can I just sell my dream because of money.”

The Changchun Yatai top scorer in last season’s Chinese Super League then revealed how the President, Football Director of Hebei China Fortune FC flew to England to sign him but he turned down their offer that was more than double the £200,000 per week he is currently earning.

“But it was diffcult for me, three nights I couldn’t sleep thinking about the money. This team flew from China, Hebei China Fortune FC the one Lavezzi is playing for, they flew from china with their President and Director of the Football.

“They offered me this money, we sat down in a meeting with my agent and three of them like this, they said this is what we want to offer you, I said I didn’t want to go they asked if the money is too small we are adding another 500,000 on it again, I said it is not the money, they said go and sleep about it.

“They called me in the morning, that they were adding another 500,000, I said it is not about the money I want to play in the Premier League, I looked drained talking about it, my teammates called me names but my agent said you are the actor here, whatever you want is what we’ll do, tomorrow I don’t want people saying we made the choice for you, sleep over it and make up your decieion.

“I prayed about it and I was convinced that was not the time for me to leave, then that season I blew up in the Premier League, without that season no one will know me this much so there are disadvantage sand advantage of everything, even what I am earning now is not even half of what they offered me then but I am happy I am enjoying the football there, and I am leaving my dream.”

Odion Ighalo went on to shie that season scoring a total of 30 goals in the 2015 calender year becoming the top scorer in England that year.


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