Odion Jude Ighalo is a Nigerian striker who plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and the Nigerian national team. He is also known for being the former partner of Caroline Brooks, one of the cast member of Bravo TV’s hit reality show, “The Real Housewives of Dubai.”
Odion Jude Ighalo's Net Worth
As of May 2022, Odion Jude Ighalo’s net worth is estimated to be $20 million. His career as a professional footballer is his main source of income. Odion, who is on loan from the Shanghai Greenland Shenhua of the Chinese Superleague, is one of only seven African players to have competed for Manchester United.
He’s also notable for wearing the number 25 shirt, which was originally worn by Quinton Fortune of South Africa, Manchester United’s first and longest-serving African player.
Since he is a well-known football player who is also reported to be Nigeria’s second richest athlete, his income is increasing as a result of multiple media appearances.
Odion's Early Life
Odion Jude Ighalo was born in Lagos on June 16, 1989, and grew up in Edo. (1) However, information about his parents was not made publicly available but it was reported that he has a twin sister who died recently.
The cause of his sister’s death, Mary Atole, was never revealed. All that was known was that she died on December 12th, at the age of 43, after fainting at her home in Canada while prepping her children for school. (2)
Odion Jude Ighalo's Education
The general public was not given access to information on Odion Jude Ighalo’s educational history, including the university he attended and the degree he obtained. Despite his athletic achievements, he opted to keep some personal details secret and away from the press. We’ll update this page if we discover more or if he says anything.
Odion Jude Ighalo's Relationship and Family Life
Odion Jude Ighalo was married to Caroline Brooks. Caroline is a professional real estate director at a company in Dubai and will soon cast on Bravo TV’s hit reality series, “The Real Housewives of Dubai.”
The former couple, who met on a gloomy night at New York’s Cipriani Hotel, are presently at odds with one another, but they do have a great child. Odion is the father of three children, two sons and a girl. It was not known as of the moment if he is dating somebody. (3)
Odion Jude Ighalo's Career
Odion Jude Ighalo started his professional football career playing for Prime and Julius Berger in Nigeria, where he was discovered by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman, who referred him to Atta Aneke, who was then put on trial by Lyn of Norway. (4)
At the age of 18, he earned his Tippeligaen debut on September 16, 2007, having scored in a 2–0 home win over Viking. In his second year, he struck six goals in 13 games to help his team finish seventh, generating interest from other teams around the country, causing Brann to file a complaint with the Norwegian Football Federation, accusing Lyn of being unjust in the bargaining process. (5)
Later, Odion signed a five-year contract with Udinese in Italy on July 30, 2008, where he played with colleague Jo Inge Berget. In his first season in Serie A, he only made five league appearances, scoring against Cagliari in a 6–2 home defeat. In summer 2009, he was loaned to Granada as part of a collaboration arrangement between Udinese and the Spaniards. (6)
Odion earned 17 goals in his first season and five in his second, as both seasons culminated in promotion; he also had a brief loan spell with Cesena in Italy as well. In the following years, he carried on playing for Granada, which was still managed by Udine, and made his La Liga debut on August 27, 2011.
On July 2014, he decided to join Watford on a season-long loan from Udinese. He got his English club debut in the League Cup first round over Stevenage on August, and ended up scoring his first goal in the Championship versus Brentford on September, tucking the ball home after David Button saved his original penalty in a 2–1 home win.
On the same day that Udinese waived him from his contract, Watford canceled his loan and re-signed him on a permanent deal. (7) Three months later, he scored four second-half goals and was named Man of the Match in a 7–2 home thrashing of Blackpool, who had led 0–2 at the break. He boosted his league cumulative total to 14 in February 2015, when he scored a hat trick to assist his team come from behind to win 2–1 at Brentford – his second went through an injury time header. (8)
Odion made his Premier League debut in August 2015, coming on to replace José Manuel Jurado 16 minutes from time and keeping the visitors up 2–1 in a season-opening 2–2 draw over Everton. He scored twice in a 2–0 comeback victory over West Ham United in October, bringing his season total to seven goals and making him the competition’s top scorer after just 11 games.
Odion scored a brace in a 3–0 triumph over Liverpool in December, giving Watford their fourth year in a row win. His five goals awarded him Premier League Player of the Month in December, while his manager, Quique Sánchez Flores, received the same honor. (9)
In March 2016, he ended a 599-minute personal scoreless streak with a goal in a 2–1 FA Cup quarter-final victory over holders Arsenal, bringing the Hornets into the last four for the first time in nine years. He agreed to sign five-year deal in August, although he only scored one league goal the next season and did not score in any of his last 15 appearances. (10)
Odion’s big break came in 2017 when he joined with Changchun Yatai in China, and he then proceeded on to CSL heavyweights Shanghai Greenland Shenhua in 2019, where he scored a lot of goals. He declined an offer from Barcelona during his time with the Chinese club in 2018-2019 for personal matters. He was loaned to Manchester United in January 2020. (11)
Today, Odion Jude Ighalo is a devoted Christian who donates a portion of his earnings to Nigerian charitable groups that assist poor children, schools, and widows. In June 2021, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, announced him as an Ambassador of the National Principal’s Cup in Abuja.
Social Media Argument Between Odion Jude Ighalo And His Estranged Wife
Adesuwa Ighalo, Odion Jude Ighalo’s estranged wife, claimed on Instagram last year that the professional football star had welcomed a kid with his mistress.
Those who said she was distraught over her divorced husband’s lifestyle were also chastised. She claimed that one of his baby mothers had filed a child support lawsuit against him because he had failed to pay child support.
The athlete then retaliated with a cryptic message to what appeared to be a response to his estranged wife’s accusation, writing, “You can never bring a good man down. Who God has bless, no man can curse.” (12)
Odion Jude Ighalo's Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
Height | X ft X in X.X m |
---|---|
Weight | — pounds — kg |
Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Body Type | Fit |
Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Facts About Odion Jude Ighalo
Nationality | Nigerian |
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Estimate Net Worth | $20 million |
Religion | Christian |
Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
Birthplace | Lagos |
Birthday | June 16, 1989 |
References
- Odion Ighalo, retrieved from http://barryhugmansfootballers.com/player/26688
- Gareth Bicknell, Odion Ighalo opens up on family tragedy that marred dream move to Man Utd, retrieved from https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/odion-ighalo-opens-up-family-21501597
- Emily Steele, The Real Housewives of Dubai: Meet Caroline Brooks, Real Estate Tycoon, retrieved from https://screenrant.com/real-housewives-dubai-caroline-brooks-real-estate-tycoon/
Odion Jude Ighalo, retrieved from https://fbref.com/en/players/03622183/Odion-Ighalo
- Odion Ignacio, retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odion_Ighalo
- Udinese-Cagliari 6-2: Quagliarella saluta nella festa del goal, retrieved from https://www.goal.com/it/news/2/serie-a/2009/05/31/1296724/udinese-cagliari-6-2-quagliarella-saluta-nella-festa-del
- Club Journalist, OFFICIAL: Ighalo Signs Permanent Deal, retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20141024201857/http://www.watfordfc.com/news/article/141024-odion-ighalo-watford-fc-permanent-transfer-2037957.aspx
- Two goals from Odion Ighalo, including an injury-time winner, gave Watford victory over 10-man Brentford, retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/31105995
- Peter McVitie, Watford’s Ighalo and Flores win Premier League awards, https://www.goal.com/en/news/1862/premier-league/2016/01/15/19357992/watfords-ighalo-and-flores-win-premier-league-awards
- Oluwashina Okeleji, Odion Ighalo: Nigerian striker ‘honoured’ by new Watford deal, https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/37059579
- Odion Ighalo: Watford striker joins Changchun Yatai for £20m, retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/38796667
- ODION AND SONIA IGHALO Still Fighting Dirty, https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2021/06/26/odion-and-sonia-ighalo-still-fighting-dirty/