Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo has vowed to leave the pitch if he is racially abused again in his career.
The forward, who is currently on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, revealed that he was called ‘all sorts of names’ by an opposition player during a match in China – something he reported to the Chinese FA.
No action was taken after Ighalo decided to ‘let it go’ but has now said he is prepared to walk off the pitch if he is subjected to racist abuse again. “If it happens to me I would report it to the referee and see what they do, but if they don’t take action about it then I’m going to walk off because it should not be done to any player or anyone in the world,’ he told Sky Sports.
‘In one game in China I got called all sorts of names and after the game, I didn’t shake his hand. I walked straight into the dressing room, I was angry, I reported it to the FA.
‘I didn’t press forward with it, I just let it go because I’m just this kind of guy. I don’t like to drag issues out. But I don’t think it should be condoned in any country.’
The 30-year-old has backed the Black Lives Matter campaign, a movement re-energised on a global scale since the killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minnesota, USA.Global riots have been ongoing since Floyd’s death with the world of sport continuing to mobilise behind the movement that is looking to eradicate racism.
Ighalo realises that change can ‘take time’ but insists that no-one should ever condone racism.
‘Nobody should condone racism,’ he added. ‘We are all human. Despite the colour of our skin, we are all the same, we live in the same world, the same life. I don’t condone racism, but at the same time, I don’t condone riots.
‘We have to start from the younger generation, educate them, let them see that all humans are the same. We should fight for humanity not colours.
