By James Nalton
The ball dropped out of the Manchester sky complete with obligatory rain, before being killed dead at the feet of Odion Ighalo.
The Nigerian had entered the fray in the 88th minute, fully aware that instant control was a minimum requirement in this theatre where Manchester United were hanging on to a 1-0 win against local rivals City.
He was not rusty, not cold, but immediately with the flow of the game.
As he evaded Benjamin Mendy down the right, Old Trafford roared, then did so again as he beat a second player.
A back-heel down the line for Fred in the 96th minute summed up his cameo. Entertaining but effective.
The incident immediately following this saw United double their lead. Hapless City goalkeeper Ederson threw the ball out quickly, but only found the feet of United midfielder Scott McTominay who found the unguarded part of the net with a precise first-time shot from distance.
In reality: a dream come true for a player who supported the club as a boy and is now contributing to a revival as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side target the top four, the FA Cup, and the Europa League.
“I grew up in Ajegunle, which is like a ghetto and it was very difficult there,” Ighalo told Sky Sports before the game. “When it would get to the weekend, everybody was excited because they wanted to watch Man United play.
“You have your jersey and you wash it before the weekend. You put them on and go to the viewing centre and it’s crazy there.
“Some other fans want Man United to lose then you’re a Man United fan and you want them to win and you start arguing, shouting, screaming and all of that.”
Ighalo has started just two games for the club so far. In his first, against Club Brugge in the Europa League, he managed to score his first goal, then in his second, against Derby County in the FA Cup, he scored two more. Two starts. Three goals.
But it is in late cameos, such as this one in the Manchester derby against City, where the Lagos-born journeyman has really shown his worth.
His composed touch, hold-up play, and ability to beat his marker have been important to the team, and though he has the crowd of their seats on occasions, these are skills done for a reason rather than just for show.
“Back then, Manchester United were the best team in England,” Ighalo said, recalling the days when he would watch the club on TV in the Ajegunle neighbourhood of the Nigerian capital.
“They won every game. Every season you’d see them winning the Premier League when Sir Alex Ferguson was here. Everybody wants to associate with a team that’s winning and that’s how I associated myself. I was very young then and growing up, I followed the team to today.
“When I remember all that now, I laugh and say ‘wow, from Ajegunle to the Theatre of Dreams’. It’s a great moment for me and I’m enjoying every bit of it.
“It is the happiest moment of my life, playing for my dream team, the team I supported when I was young.”
There was some criticism of the move which seemed slapdash from the club’s point of view.
The departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez in 2019 left United light up top regardless of whether or not these players had been effective for the club.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial stepped up to the plate becoming the United’s key players in attack, while Mason Greenwood looks like a really promising young talent, but it was clear the trio needed support.
In January, when Rashford was ruled out for much of the rest of the season with the transfer window still open, it became a question of who will be signed to provide this support, rather than if someone will be signed.
It went down to the wire, but Ighalo was brought in on loan from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season with no option to buy included in the contract.
When Ighalo heard of United’s interest, he just wanted to get the deal done, telling his agent: “Now you have to make this happen, I don’t care what it has to take, just make it happen, I want to sign.”
“I don’t know how to explain it,” Ighalo added in the interview with Sky Sports.
“You dream about it, you watch it, you see these things on TV and now, you’re doing it. It’s crazy, it’s great, I’m happy and I want to keep going because this isn’t finished.
“Firstly, I achieved this dream of playing for Man United and scoring for them but now there’s even bigger work to work hard, to finish well this season and make sure this team finishes where they’re supposed to be and win trophies hopefully.”
“For now, I’m enjoying my time, I’m living my dream and I’m working hard. It’s too early to talk about the future, now is for me to fight in every game, make sure I give my blood and sweat for the team, try to win games and make sure we end the season well.”
This attitude is reflected in his performances, which could see a clamour for him to stay at the club beyond this season, even though there is no automatic clause in his contract for this to happen.
United have not lost a match in which he has featured, and have won five of those seven games.
This latest victory, against the defending Premier League champions and local rivals, was one of the most important, and though Ighalo only played around eight minutes his composure and control made for an important contribution.