There’s nothing like heaping pressure on a young player by comparing him to one of the best players in the league from the past 15 years, but it does show a level of confidence.
Odion Ighalo may be in danger of turning himself into a highly paid cheerleader at Man United, but it’s nice to see someone who is genuinely just delighted to be with a team.
The Mirror reported on some of his comments about his fellow strikers earlier, and it’s clear that he thinks Mason Greenwood has a bright future.
He’s still only 18 so he’s got plenty of time to grow as a player, but Ighalo sees some of a former United great in him:
“I will start with Greenwood. He’s a very good player. I think I used to see with my eyes he’s looking like Robin van Persie. He can shoot with both feet, he’s a very intelligent player, young and is not afraid.”
Greenwood has been known about for a while but this season has seen him truly break through, with 12 goals in 36 appearances – a record that is more impressive when you consider there’s a lot of sub appearances in there too.
Time will tell if he can live up to that comparison, but it’s possible if he keeps improving then he will simply become a star in his own right, and youngsters will be compared to him instead.
“Football in England changed with that Southampton team of 2013-14, there is no other team that had as big an impact in changing the mindset” – Which manager said this? Click here to read more.