Former Super Eagles defender, Ifeanyi Udeze is wishing the Nigerian players currently playing in the English Premier League an injury-free campaign as the 2019/20 season is on the way.
The EPL season resumed on Wednesday with two matches which saw Manchester City thump Arsenal 3-0 at the Etihad Stadium while Aston Villa and Sheffield United drew goalless at Villa Park but no Nigerian player was involved in both games.
There are five Nigerian players plying their trade in the EPL and these are Odion Ighalo of Manchester United, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho both of Leicester City and Watford’s duo of Isaac Success and Tom Dele-Bashiru.
Ighalo will be the first Nigerian player to see action when Man United play host to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Friday with the striker gunning for his first EPL goal for the Red Devils despite already netting four goals in eight appearances across all competitions.
Udeze has now backed all the five Nigerian players to go ahead and shine while also wishing them an injury-free campaign in an exclusive phone interview with Complete Sports.
The retired defender said: “It is a good thing that the Premier League has restarted. Nigerian players like Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi and the rest of them, we wish them well and we hope that they stay injury-free and we also hope that they start well because that is the most important thing.
“You know when a season stops and restarts like this, you can expect a lot of injuries. We pray that none of our Nigerian players will be caught up with any injury or any problem at all. We just wish that they all do very well, especially Odion Ighalo who just extended his loan deal at Man United.
“We really wish Ighalo well as a lot is expected of him. From his fans, the board of Man United, his supporters all around the globe and particularly from Nigeria, they are all expecting a whole lot from him and I pray that he succeeds,” Udeze who played eleven Premier League matches on loan for West Bromwich Albion concluded.
Meanwhile, Leicester forward, Iheanacho will be looking to create a new record when it comes to the number of starts he has made within a single Premier League season.
The Super Eagles attacker recorded his highest starts within a season since making a move to England’s top-flight in the 2018/19 season when he started nine matches from 30.
And with nine more games for the 2019/20 campaign which resumes on Wednesday, 17 June to end, Iheanacho looks good to make the starting line-up three times so as to create a new record of starts in a single season.
Ndidi is eyeing three targets which are the top tackler award, the highest interceptions and a ticket to the UEFA Champions League, the third one alongside fellow compatriot and club-mate at Leicester, Iheanacho.
By Oluyemi Ogunseyin
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