Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo should be recalled to the Nigerian national team, according to former midfielder Mutiu Adepoju.

Ighalo arrived on January transfer deadline day as an emergency back-up striker on loan for the rest of the season from Shanghai Shenhua, and United received ridicule for signing a player who had been playing in China for the last three years.

However, Ighalo has quickly proved doubters wrong with a string of good performances, looking dangerous off the bench in the Premier League and scoring four goals in just three starts.

His latest came in the 5-0 defeat of LASK in the Europa League on Thursday as the 30-year-old got the scoring underway with a fantastic strike, as he juggled the ball to get it under control before thundering a shot into the top corner from the edge of the box.

As a result of his great early form at Old Trafford, there have been calls for Ighalo to return to the national side, from which he retired in 2019 after finishing the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt as top scorer with five strikes to his name.

The United No.25 has a total of 16 goals in 35 appearances for his county and his compatriot Adepoju wouldn’t mind seeing him make a return.

“With his kind of form, it won’t be a crime to drag Odion Ighalo back to the Super Eagles. Well done,” Adepoju posted on Twitter.