Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has hailed Odoin Ighalo’s impact on Anthony Martial since arriving the club in January.
Frenchman Martial, 24, has been flying for the Red Devils since the season’s resumption earlier this month.
The versatile forward was only stopped from finding the net at Tottenham by Hugo Lloris, while he flourished against Sheffield United, netting a classy hat-trick last Wednesday.
Loanee Ighalo scored the opener at Carrow Road and has made a useful impact for the club on and off the pitch since arriving back in January.
The former Watford hitman has surprisingly helped improve Martial’s all-round game, having been brought in earlier this year as more of a last resort addition to bolster United’s options up top.
Ighalo has now scored in all four of his starts for United since joining on loan from Shanghai Shenhua, and Solskjaer has praised his influence on the team.
“Odion is a seasoned No.9,” Solskjaer told Sky Sports . “He’s played that position his whole career whereas Anthony has played more out on the wing.
“Odion is helping on the training pitch, in terms of his movement, hold-up play and just being himself. Anthony’s learning off an experienced centre-forward.”
Solskjaer has not ruled out the possibility of signing a new striker this summer, and he is urging Martial to continue rising to the challenge at Old Trafford.
“It’s the first season that he’s really playing as a No.9; he’s had to have that burden of the shirt and be that central focus through the middle,” Solskjaer added.
“Sometimes that’s not easy when you play for Manchester United but he knows that we trust him and I think he knows that we want him to keep developing.
“We’ll keep challenging him. There are always players in and around the team – and outside the club – who would want to be No.9 for Manchester United.
“There’s always pressure on a centre-forward but so far, he’s performed really well.”
Martial appeared to be truly enjoying himself at present alongside Marcus Rashford in front of goal, as Solskjaer continued: “He’s playing with a smile on his face.
“Anthony has had a really good season, he’s been really important for us. We felt it during the couple of months he was out injured; we struggled.
“But he knows that we trust him. He knows that we’ll have patience with him and that we’ll keep working with him.”